Lost Before Light
by D-grayhitman Reborn
Summary: "I'm not shaken by the sight of blood anymore." Nike is soldier of the elite fighting force Genesis and part of its world filled with death and war. But her whole world suddenly begins to change after she meets the young Cavallone boss, Dino. DinoxOC
1. Many Meetings and Flying Books

Hello, everyone :D I finally managed to write, or rather finish the first chapter to my 3rd story: Lost Before Light! I hope you enjoy reading it :D*nervous* Feedback is always welcome, I'll answer questions as well ;D Anyway, English is not my born language, so I beg for mercy XD If I notice grammar mistakes, I'll fix them.

The first few chapters will be pre-timeline, but will follow the manga later on, maybe include some things from the anime, or novels, and Drama CDs (which I'd translate on my own). And I'll start with a T-rating. I'm thinking about changing it to M later on, but I'll give a warning if/when the time comes.

I'll give you more information below the actual first chapter. Also, the link for my OC's picture can be found in my profile.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KHR, I only own all of my OCs

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light<strong>

~~~ Prologue ~~~

Sometimes we find that fate is playing with us.

We may find something important, but lose it again because we don't hold onto it, or take it for granted.

And so, some things from the past never make it into the future, only the regret of letting that something go.

Like this, even an eternity can pass… Fleeting dreams fade into the distance…

And all that is left is you and your memories… memories of happier days.

So, how do you go on, when you begin to understand… there is no going back?

Will you lock your heart away, and forget who you really are?

To find an answer to these questions…

This is where our story begins…

. . .

"How did it end up like this?" the 16 year old soldier Nike asked herself in disbelief, while she stared at the Cavallone mansion with an annoyed twitching eyelid, rather than being awed by the mansion's size. Then she turned to her 'trainer from hell', like she always called Rika, who now stood beside her.

Both woman were elite-soldiers and part of the elite-fighting-force, Genesis, which used its soldiers for special missions that required the greatest use of strength and abilities.

They were known to be most efficient, skilled, and best trained, but also known for their mercilessness.

However, Genesis' founder, Chaos, had been a friend of Vongola Primo, and Genesis known to be Vongola's most trusted and strongest ally since then. But just like the Vongola, Genesis had changed since its founder had died.

"Complaining won't help you," Nike's tall mentor answered coldly and lit a cigarette. Then the 35 year old woman eyed her apprentice, who let out a heavy, defiant sigh.

"But I don't get why I have to stay here…" Nike frowned and bumped her head against the high fence that was build around the mansion.

"I already told you everything you need to know," Rika said after a minute of silence, blowing the smoke out of her nose.

"Yeah, you told me almost nothing.. like always," Nike mumbled annoyed under her breath.

~~~2 Days ago~~~

"Damn, what is it?" Nike asked Rika irritated. She had failed -once again- to get away from her master.

"We have an appointment with an acquaintance of mine and his student. In 2 days," Rika told her while she leaned back in her office chair. Her office was as messy as always. Nike couldn't even tell where the commode Rika liked was. Probably hiding beneath all the papers and documents…

"Like always, you're so precise…" Nike said with a sarcastic undertone, only to get hit with a book that Rika threw. "That's the wrong way to use them," Nike mumbled and rubbed her nose.

"It's for discipline, stupid." Rika shot her a glare, which Nike ignored, turning her head to the side.

After they were silent for a few seconds, Nike asked sarcastically:

"May I ask Your _Magnificent_ at least who that acquittance of yours is?"

Rika turned her head around and blew the smoke out of her nose, looking at Nike with an raised eyebrow.

"Nike, are you trying to pick a fight with me, again? I don't like your tone."

Nike huffed and crossed her arms behind her head, staring annoyed into midair.

"I never like your tone, either, but that doesn't hinder you to be an irresponsible, stupid, deceiving, arrogant, mean, half-assed-"

*SMACK*

Nike was hit with a book again, while flames of rage surrounded her master.

"Dare to finish your sentence?" she asked with a demonic expression. Nike stared at Rika for a few seconds, then poked her tongue out.

"Sure."

*SMACK*

"I forgot to add 'violent'…" Nike grumbled and rubbed her painfully throbbing head.

"Brat!" Rika yelled, and Nike only shut her ear that was close to Rika with one of her hands, while having a bored expression.

"Why do old people have to shout like that? I can hear you just fine." Nike said calm, but mockingly. When she looked at Rika, who now made an expression like an angry boar, she began to sweat nervously and waved her hands in surrender.

"I got it. I'll be quiet…"

Then Rika sighed and said, while lighting another cigarette:

"Have you ever heard of the Cavallone family?"

"Err.. Isn't that an ally of the Vongola?" Nike asked a bit puzzled.

"To be exact, the 3rd most strongest. Bucking Horse Dino is the 10th Cavallone Boss, and was the one who raised the position and power of his family single-handily, and also fixed their finances."

"What about him?" Nike yawned. It ways still rather early in the morning, and she wasn't exactly a morning person.

"I told you about the Arcobaleno before, right?"

"Yeah, the 'Strongest Seven'. Cursed Babies, whatever. And?" Nike waved her hand, wanting to skip things she already knew.

"Well, my acquaintance is an Arcobaleno, and the Bucking Horse his student," Rika said and looked at Nike rather seriously.

Nike scratched her cheek indifferently. _"No wonder that he raised the Cavallone's reputation"_

"...Is he a client?"

"The 10th Cavallone Boss? Well, not really. You could probably call it whatever you want."

"And why are we meeting them then?" Nike was getting impatient.

"I asked a favour of the Arcobaleno, and I owe him one. So I have made an agreement with him," Rika added and seemed a bit too cheerful all of a raised an eyebrow.

'Oh well' pretty much described what she thought that very second the best. It was usually like this. Rika planned something dangerous and Nike was the one who had to carry her plans out, without being told anything in the first place. So she knew that Rika wouldn't say anything further until she decided to do so on her own. It was no use to nag, and Nike didn't want to talk much more with her anyway.

The last time Rika told her one of her plans was when she kicked her right in a gunfight with Genesis members and a killer robot. It ended with Nike breaking 4 ribs, inner bleedings, and a torn open stomach while her mentor laughed at her.

However, then, much to Nike's surprise, Rika told her more about what she wanted to know, though what she heard wasn't much to her liking.

"You'll stay with the Bucking Horse and the Arcobaleno."

Nike bumped her hands on Rika's office table, knocking down all stacked documents. "_What_ was that?"

"You heard me, stupid," Rika said coldly.

"Why staying with Bucking Zebra.. Whatever? I don't get what you're up to now!" Nike facepalmed. She just wanted to start ripping her hair out.

"Bucking Horse," Rika corrected her. "And I asked Reborn to have an eye on you, while he asked me if you could have an eye on his student."

Nike stood there dumb-founded, looking at Rika in disbelief. Then she breathed in and said as calmly as possible:

"First, if he's 'oh so strong', then he can watch out for himself, and second… since when do I need someone to watch out for me!"

"Because I can't take you along on my next mission. It would be to dangerous for you to tag along, and you'd be in the way. So be quiet and accept it," Rika told her calmly with something threatening in her voice.

Her student's facial expression distorted.

"_Dangerous?_ You kicked me in front of a killer-robot, kicked me off a cliff, threw me in a bunch of out-of-control zombies or whatever they were, and made fun of me every time!"

Rika shot her a glare and a strange glow appeared in her eyes. She was serious, while Nike simply irritated.

"Che! Fine! At least I don't have to see your visage for a while."

She turned her head at Rika again, and ducked herself in a split of a second to avoid the book that came flying.

"I'm getting pelted a lot today…"

~~~Current time~~~

"I still think that's the stupidest idea you ever had. And here I thought you couldn't surpass yourself anymore…" Nike said dully while crouching in front of the gateway.

*SMACK*

"If you want to stay alive, you better shut up and go in!" Rika yelled and kicked Nike through the gateway.

Before landing flat on her face, she reached out her hands and pushed herself up again. Brushing her hands up, Nike raised her head after noticing that someone stood in front of her.

The man seemed to be in his 30's, wore glassed, a suit and seemed to be friendly.

Nike stood up and Rika appeared next to her.

"You must be Ms. Bia and Miss Nike, right? Mr. Reborn is waiting for you!" he said with a smile.

"Good then. Please show us the way!" Rika responded and sounded way too friendly as far as Nike could see.

"Okay, then please come this way," he said while leading the way, and told them his name was Romario, Dino's right-hand man.

~~~Meanwhile~~~~

The small Hitman sipped on his espresso, and somehow seemed a bit too cheerful, which gave his student a bad feeling.

"I wonder what you're up to now, Reborn," the blond-haired young mafia boss, Dino, who was sitting behind his office table, said with a somehow wary and nervous expression.

"You'll seen soon enough," Reborn responded and his sly grin didn't fade.

_"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"_ Dino thought and suppressed a sigh.

"But I was surprised that you have contact with someone from Genesis. Especially since the 9th doesn't really like its boss, Hades…" Dino then said.

"It can't be helped. Genesis is an important ally for the Vongola, and even though Hades is a wicked person, the 9th trusts Bia, Genesis' 7th squad leader. Also, he doesn't want to risk a war with them," Reborn answered calmly, while his hat shadowed his face.

Dino didn't know what to think of having Genesis people near his family, even less that one of them was supposed to stay with them for a while, but since Reborn seemed to trust her, he let it go.

Not a second later, it knocked on the door and Romario entered the room.

"Boss, Mr. Reborn's guests have arrived," he said friendly, but still respectful.

"Really, then please ask them in," Dino responded friendly as well and stood up.

Romario opened the door more and the first woman that appeared in the room was only a few inches smaller than he was.

She wore her fiery red hair in a short bob, some of her hair behind her right ear, while the left side of her face was covered by it.

"Ciaossu, Rika," Reborn greeted her and she grinned.

"Hey there, it's been a while. So that's the student you mentioned in your letter?"

"Yes, though I would call him 'No-good-Student'," Reborn answered smirking.

"Oi, Reborn!" Dino suddenly tossed in, half resentful, half embarrassed. She 'Hmpf'ed in an amused way and leaned forward.

"You're the 10th Cavallone boss, aren't you? Hmm~ Reborn did quite a good job training you, Bucking Horse Dino."

Dino looked quite confused at her words, and didn't really feel comfortable around her, but he stayed friendly like he mostly did.

"Then you are Reborn's acquaintance he was talking about. Nice to meet you."

"Oh yes, I am. And since you're Reborn's student you can call me Rika. Bia is just some stupid codename." Now Rika looked at Reborn with a somewhat satisfied expression, then said quite happily, which send shivers down Dino's spine, and made Romario look rather uncomfortable as well:

"Well, it seems like I agree on our arrangement." Then she grabbed something that seemed to wait outside the room.

What she pulled in was a rather small girl that seemed everything but pleased with the situation.

"Nike, I told you that I wouldn't let you escape!" Rika hissed.

"Doesn't hinder me to try it anyway," Nike mumbled annoyed.

"Ah, yeah, I forgot. This is my apprentice, Nike," Rika said creepily smiling, while hitting Nike in the back of her head.

"Ciaossu, Nike," Reborn said with a sly grin and jumped on Rika's shoulder.

"You're an Arcobaleno?" Nike ignored his greeting, asking her question boldly while staring at his chameleon that sat on top of his hat.

Reborn just grinned, while Rika ruffled Nike's hair to mock her, which resulted in Nike slapping her hand away.

"And this is his student." Rika pointed at Dino.

"Yo, nice to meet you. I'm Dino," Dino introduced himself with a suave smile and held out his hand to shake Nike's. While he did that, he studied the petite girl, who wasn't taller than 4'10" .

_"Woah, she's pretty…"_ he thought fascinated, but was a bit surprised with his own reaction. The thing that caught his attention the most were her eyes, which colour were hard to define. Maybe something between grey, blue and purple. While looking -or rather staring- at her, he thought about all the rumours that were going around about the Genesis Soldiers. And while Rika did seem like one of them, since she gave off a somehow weird vibe, Nike... just didn't.

Meanwhile Nike looked in his amber eyes, that seemed to shimmer golden somehow, and for a split second, his eyes hinted a lot of warmth in them. Even his gaze felt warm.

It somehow hooked her and interested her.

However, when she noticed that he still held out his hand, she immediately crossed her arms behind her head and simply said:

"Yeah, nice to meet you. You can call me Nike."

While Dino seemed a bit puzzled at her actions, and maybe a bit disappointed as well, she couldn't even describe for herself how uncomfortable she felt, though she never really showed it.

Nike hated touching people. For various reasons.

Suddenly, Nike felt that Rika hit her on her shoulder, pretty strong at that.

"Sorry sweetie. She doesn't have any manners," she told Dino, obviously trying to mock Nike again.

"Neither do you." Nike clicked her tongue. Then suddenly, she finally noticed that something on Dino's shoulder.

Her eyes widened and Dino noticed it, looking at his right shoulder, where his turtle Enzio was sitting on.

He chuckled and lifted the turtle up, showing it to Nike.

"His name's Enzio," he said with a friendly grin. Before Dino could think about anything further, he was already kicked by Reborn, who now jumped on his shoulder.

"You know this guy here is a useless klutz and screws up a lot, so I wanted to ask you to take care of him."

"Again with that… Don't put weird ideas into her head," Dino contradicted, but knew Reborn would ignore him anyway.

"So you were serious when you said you wanted me to stay here…" Nike sighed distressed.

"I guess it would be a change if a girl stays with us! Also, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about the boss so much anymore!" Romario laughed.

"Romario!" Dino rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, then turned to Nike. "But anyway, I hope you'll make yourself at home."

She looked at him in silence and had yet to find a way to deal with him. Nike wasn't used to people as friendly as him, even less that someone welcomed her anywhere, so she suddenly blurted out with a snort:

"You're weird."

"Huh?" Dino looked surprised and a bit shocked. Then she added:

"But thanks… I guess," Nike finally responded, surrendering, yet annoyed, then said with a slight smirk: "Anyway, I'll have to tell you that you'd still have to worry. I'm kinda difficult to deal with, you know?"

While Romario laughed at his dumbfounded boss, Dino wondered of he wanted to know the real meaning behind her words or not. But before he could respond, Rika furrowed her brows and said:

"Don't worry. Nike's only lazy, indifferent, and has no respect for authority whatsover."

Nike's eyes send Rika a rather annoyed and doubting gaze. "No respect for authority? I just don't like you." But then she shrugged and added, more to herself than anyone else, twisting her mouth while doing so:

"But at least I don't have to see this old hag's face for a while."

As soon as she finished her sentence, she ducked herself, avoiding Rika's fist.

"Ha! I knew you'd try that!" Nike flicked her fingers cockily, but right after that…

*SMACK*

… Rika had already managed to punch her.

"Okay then. You'll learn a lot of things from Reborn I can't teach you, or simply don't wanna. So work hard," she told her, then her face darkened. Cracking her knuckles, she grabbed Nike by her collar.

"If you don't I'm gonna beat you up."

"How nice.. And here I thought I could laze around…" Nike said calmly with a somehow nervous-dejecting grimace. No sense for authority was maybe not understated, but even Nike found that Rika was just scary when she was mad.

_"Where have I seen this scenario before?"_ Dino thought and shot Reborn a slightly nervous glance, who just smirked devious. Dino's face fell in shock immediately as he saw his tutor's expression, and thought:

_"He's definitely is planning something..."_

"All right, all right, I got it," Nike meanwhile tried to stop Rika with a somehow nervous wave of her hand, then faced Dino. "I'll be in your care for a while then."

Dino smiled and nodded.

"Good. Let's go eat now~" Reborn said suddenly alarmingly cheerful, and started walking to the dining hall. Rika followed closely behind him, so that nobody could hear what she had to say.

"Thanks Reborn. I owe you one."

"Don't worry, I can extract advantages from her stay," the small Hitman responded and his expression showed that he already plotted things that neither Nike or Dino would have liked to hear.

"Yeah, but it's still…" Rika hesitated. "That brat… I wouldn't have to take these measurements if it wasn't for those special issues concerning Nike," she facepalmed.

"I told you you'd have to be careful. But we can't change it now. We'll have to make the best out of it," Reborn said calmly, then started smirking again and added:

"Nike is interesting."

"She's my student after all," Rika responded and almost lit a cigarette, until she remembered that she shouldn't smoke in someone else's home.

Meanwhile Nike eyed her surroundings, until Reborn turned around with a smirk that reminded her of Rika's.

Hence, it couldn't mean anything positive.

Dino and Nike looked at him kind of nervously, though Nike still tried to hide it, as Reborn said, talking to Rika while facing their students:

"Don't worry, she'll be very useful for my purposes. But Dino shouldn't worry. I'll still work him to the bones." Nike and Dino sighed while Rika and Reborn seemed to have lots of fun scaring their students and Nike thought:

_"This can't get any worse… or can it?"_

* * *

><p>Okay, here are some information I was talking about. I wanted to say a few things about Genesis.<p>

I have an obsession with Final Fantasy, and played FF 7 a while ago again and wanted to base Genesis (at least a tiny little bit) on SOLDIER. Oh well but here are a few basic information's anyway:

Genesis consists of 7 units. All of them have a leader, but Genesis' overall leader is Hades. Genesis' founder was a woman I named Chaos, cuz I thought it sounded cool XD

**Hades: Leader of Genesis and 1st squad leader**

**Ares: 2nd squad leader.**

**Nemesis: 3rd squad leader**

**Eris: 4th squad leader**

**Thanatos: 5th squad leader**

**Phobos: 6th squad leader**

**Bia (Rika): 7th squad leader**

I gave them "codenames" cuz I was to lazy to think of real names xD Nike btw. means victory.

Ah, and also, I won't use any Japanese honorifics for the time being, that's why I used "Mr. Reborn" here, for example. I'll probably just use the honorifics that are actually being used by the characters, or think of something else^^

I described Dino's eyes as amber, cuz I think every time Amano colours him, they're either gold, or amber, so I'll go with that instead with his brown eyes from the anime. And when it comes to the spelling, I'll either use the Reborn wiki as reference, or the manga translation.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and I will update as soon as I can :D *bows, waves* See ya! :D


	2. Don't play with fire! Or water?

'Kay, here's the second chapter to my story ;D Hope you enjoy it. I apologize for any confusions and mistakes, and will try to fix them if there are any.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KHR. I only own my OCs.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light<strong>

~~~Don't play with fire! Or water?~~~

Tic-tac. Tic-tac. Tic-tac.

A golden pocket watch swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Carved in the gold unreadable letters.

Suddenly, the movements stoped, along with the evenly ticking.

The glass cracked.

Another noise, a scream. Blood spatters on the clock's glass.

Bright flames burning innocent skin.

Distorted faces marked with cold eyes and arms with weird a scarification.

More blood, dead bodies.

A second scream, louder than the one before. It sounded pained, desperate, as if ones soul was about to be torn apart. And then..

_And then there was silence._

A heavy silence.

The silence that let her drown. Drown in a dark haze…

And then…

_And then there was nothing. _

~~~In the middle of the night~~~_  
><em>

Nike woke up with a start, like she did rather often within this night. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get used to her new surroundings, even though Dino provided her a big, comfortable, nicely decorated room and with many blue colours. However, the nightmares Nike had since she could think back wouldn't go away and she couldn't be at ease no matter where she was.

She rubbed her face slowly with her hands, then rubbed her neck and noticed that she had been sweating a lot.

"_Damn dreams." _she thought and seemed pretty much on edge.

She pushed her blanket away and stood up, walking over to the window. After removing the curtains she sat down on the window board and leaned her head against the window. It was dark outside, but the starry sky shined bright.

While looking outside, her thoughts began to stray away.

Since when had it been that Nike slept a night through? She couldn't remember.

While she tried to shake off her thoughts, she remembered Rika's department.

~~~The last evening~~~

Rika was about to leave for her next mission, wanting to leave Nike behind, much to last said person's dismay.

"Then, Reborn, Dino, I'll leave this idiot in your care. Bury her alive if she gets on your nerves," Rika said and stretched herself.

"I'll remember it." Reborn responded, sitting on Dino's shoulder while carrying his sly smirk again.

"How about you show yourself at your best and show us your back? In other words… get lost," Nike mocked her calmly, while crossing her arms.

"Want to get hit?" Rika asked and cracked her knuckles.

"Not the last time I checked," she shrugged.

*SMACK*

"Honestly, why do I even bother?" Nike grumbled, rubbing her head.

Meanwhile Dino looked rather uncomfortable while seeing them bicker, and Rika's rather _'rough'_ treatment strangely reminded him of Reborn's.

"Don't worry. I don't think that she'll make any problems," he tried to calm them down. Rika looked-, then ignored him and looked back at Reborn.

"You're too soft. You've sissified your student," Rika told him and something in Reborn's eyes lit up in a devious way.

"_Uh-oh…" _Dino thought and eyed Reborn nervously.

"Too soft? The only one who's too soft is you," Reborn responded and…

*WHACK*

… kicked Dino.

"Stop it, Reborn!" Dino said angrily and rubbed his cheek where Reborn had kicked him.

"_Did he honestly kick him 'cuz he's competing against Rika?" _Nike shot Reborn and Dino a disbelieving glance. She knew this wasn't turning into something she'd like.

"_I'm_ too soft?" Rika asked, both, she and Reborn ignoring Dino. "I don't think so, because I usually do _this_ if I'm annoyed at Nike!"

She was about to hit Nike, but said girl ducked herself and rolled her eyes.

"We know that you're demons. No need to compete."

Rika sighed somehow satisfied and Reborn jumped on her shoulder, bot grinning at each other.

"See? They're trying to calm us by making compliments." she said.

"_Compliments?" _Dino thought and believed he misheard her.

"All right then. I'm taking my leave. Be careful that this cocky, ill-tempered brat doesn't laze around," the fiery redhead told the Arcobaleno now.

"I'm never lazing around," Nike stated way too ironically, but Rika just shot her a glare.

"Sure," Reborn responded to Rika and Nike didn't like his tone at all.

"Good, I'll see you around," Rika said and then turned to Nike with a creepy grin that made her apprentice eye her warily.

"What're you planning?" Nike asked and was thinking about stepping back, while mumbling: "No matter what it is, I won't like it…"

Then Rika stepped forward, stretching her arms out and tried to hug Nike. Nike's eyes widened and she ducked herself, then pushed herself to the side.

"No touching!" she hissed.

"You seriously fell for it!" Rika laughed spitefully and threw her head back.

Nike looked at her rather annoyed and crossed her arms huffing.

"Damn old hag…" she muttered with a twitching eyelid.

*SMACK*

"Don't call me old, you midget!" Rika yelled and flames of rage surrounded her. Calling her 'old' was never a good idea.

Not that Nike cared as long as it annoyed her.

"And you don't call me midget," Nike simply retorted. She had a _little_ complex about her height.

Rika turned away from her while Nike blew some hair strands out of her face.

"I'm going before I kill her," Rika said and lit a cigarette.

"Yeah, leave before _I_ kill _you_," Nike corrected her.

"I'm going to ignore that," Rika hissed. "Anyway, make sure to get rid of that attitude of yours."

"Sorry, that'd take ages," Nike responded and rested her hands relaxed on her hips.

"I give up," Rika sighed. "See you around, Reborn, Dino, idiot." Now she turned on her heels and walked through the gateway. Not a second later, she had already disappeared from their sight.

"Finally peace and quiet." Nike could have started cheering.

"Time for my espresso~" Reborn suddenly said very cheerfully as he started to walk inside the mansion again.

Dino looked after him in disbelief, but remained next to Nike, who was awfully quiet while looking after Rika.

"Are you okay?" he asked and bend down slightly to see her expression. She looked at him and grinned wryly while raising an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me? I'm rid of Rika for…" she stopped and her expression changed into a questioning one. "Come to think of it… Did she say when she's coming back?"

"I don't know anything. But Reborn surely does." Dino shrugged. "Then again, he does know a lot but doesn't tell anyone anything to begin with," he sighed.

"Then that Arcobaleno is not any better than that old hag," Nike stated calmly and scoffed.

Dino chuckled then clapped his hands, which got him Nike's attention.

"Yosha! How about I show you your room? It seems like you'll stay for a while, after all."

"You? The boss? Show me my room?" Nike looked at him doubtingly.

"Sure," he shrugged again with a smile. Now Nike couldn't hold I in anymore and snorted briefly.

She turned around, still seemingly amused, though she tried to hide it.

"Okay then let's go."

Dino nodded somehow satisfied and walked after her. But then suddenly, he tripped and fell down. Nike turned around and looked at him deadpan, but her eyes showed that she seemed puzzled.

"Eh…"

"Ouch, I tipped again…" Dino mumbled and rubbed his nose.

"Is the ground that attractive, or are you gonna stand up again?" Nike asked now somehow amused.

"Ahh.. Sorry." Dino said slightly embarrassed, stood up and walked past her, wanting to show her the way with a friendly attitude again. Nike shrugged and didn't think about it any further, thinking it was just a coincidence.

~~~Current Time~~~

Nike snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. The sun was rising and the sunbeams shined through the window.

"How long have I been sitting here?" she asked herself. But then was quiet. She noticed the silence.

It wasn't a heavy silence like in Genesis' Headquarters. No it was a peaceful silence.

A calming silence that she maybe missed, or maybe never experienced in the first place.

After sitting there for about three hours and losing the sense of time while watching the sunrise, she looked at her alarm clock. Oh, how she hated alarm clocks. It was almost 8 am.

She decided to crawl back into bed and rest a bit more. But then, just after closing her eyes, it suddenly knocked on her door.

"Miss Nike? The breakfast will be ready in half an hour." She heard Romario's friendly voice through the door.

"...Got it," Nike responded, pressing her face in her pillow.

"So much for the peaceful silence." Nike couldn't restrain herself to grin sarcastically, and jumped up.

"_All right. Let's get this over with, Bucking Horse."_

~~~A little later~~~

After showering and dressing herself, Nike walked down the stairs and was heading to the dining hall. Then she heard someone say:

"Good morning, Nike. Did you sleep well?"

Nike turned around rather grumpily, looking at Dino who was about to go down the stairs as well.

"Do you guys always wake up so early? That's not cool," she yawned.

"I'd like to sleep longer as well," he laughed. "But Reborn won't let me ever since he became my tutor."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Nike sighed. "Rika won't quit her bitching about things like that, either."

Then suddenly Nike heard a weird noise.

She looked up, saw that Dino missed a step and fell towards Nike.

Nike's expression stayed straight-faced and she simply stepped aside.

He fell past her and hit almost every stair. After he hit the floor, he laid on his back like a dead bug.

"Ouch!" He rubbed the back of his head.

Nike just stood there rather dumb-founded and simply started at the young mafia boss.

"Err… Again?"

"Boss, what are you doing making an ass out of yourself?" Romario suddenly appeared from downstairs and laughed before helping Dino up.

Meanwhile Reborn came sliding down the banister and stopped next to Nike.

"See? I told you he's a useless klutz."

"Is he always like this?" Nike asked in disbelief, though still remaining composed.

"He is only a useless klutz when his men aren't around," Reborn smirked.

"Wha…?" Nike looked at Reborn.

"_What's up with that? Ridiculous.." _She had never heard something like this and didn't know what to think of it, then decided to say:

"Then he's either perfectly cut out to be a boss, or simply pathetic." Nike crossed her arms and looked down at Dino with an raised eyebrow. She sighed and walked down the remaining stairs, stretched herself and said:

"Are you done playing doormat? Can we eat now?"

He flushed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I-I just slipped."

Nike nodded and walked past him.

"Of course."

Dino, Reborn and Romario looked after her, while Dino asked, being rather clueless:

"Why do I have the feeling that it's gonna be hard approaching her?"

Now Reborn jumped on his shoulder.

"You managed to embarrass yourself again, idiot."

"Oi, I said I just slipped," Dino defended himself.

"Of course you did. Like yesterday, the day before yesterday, the day before that, then when you spilled all you food, and-"

"Cut it out!" he said flustered and Romario bursted out laughing. "Romario!"

"Sorry, boss, but Mr. Reborn does have a point." Romario responded and tried to calm down.

"I got it, I got it." Dino slumped his shoulders in mild exasperation. While Dino then started walking after Nike, Reborn jumped from his shoulder.

"Huh..? Aren't you coming along?" Dino asked while turning around.

"No, I'll see you later." Reborn smirked. Dino eyed him warily nervous.

"_This can't be anything good, can it?" _he thought to himself and started walking again.

After Dino disappeared around the corner with Romario, Reborn walked out of the mansion with a sly grin on his face.

"Hehe~ I have planned something special for them, Leon."

~~~Meanwhile~~~

"Say how old are you, Nike?" Dino asked her with a smile while Nike eyed her coffee suspiciously. Then she looked at him.

"_Damn, I'm bad with small talk." _

"I'm 16... I think."

"You _think_ that you're 16?" Dino asked surprised.

"According to Rika I am. And according to her, I'll turn 17 in a few months," she retorted and only sipped on her coffee. It wasn't poisonous, but so hot that she burned her tongue and it tasted bitter on top of that.

"_Why do grown-ups drink that bitter stuff?" _she thought and grimaced while sticking her tongue slightly out.

Dino tried not to, but started chuckling after seeing her expression, then asked, trying to stop after seeing her look confused:

"You don't like coffee?"

"No. Rika always makes me drink it to make me stay awake, but it tastes like dirt," Nike answered plainly and eyed her coffee like it was her biggest enemy.

"You're surprisingly honest," he laughed. "Do you want something else?"

"I can decide?" Nike asked calmly but was a bit surprised. Usually, Genesis soldiers had regulations when it came to food.

"Of course you can," he answered.

"Well… I do like hot chocolate, but.. I don't want to be a bother…" Nike hesitated, but only a moment later he already had some.

"I hope you enjoy it, Miss." the one serving the hot chocolate said.

"Oh.. Thanks..." Nike said calmly but her eyes sparkled after seeing the hot chocolate.

"_No, stupid you're not gonna be charmed." _she thought and sipped on her new drink.

"So, if I may ask, why are you not sure about your age?" Dino asked, trying to pick up their conversation, again. Nike eyed him from the corner of her eyes, not putting the hot chocolate away.

"Is that important?"

"I'm sorry, I was just curious," he answered and waved his hand in surrender. He dropped the topic after he noticed that she didn't want to answer. When Nike eyed him again she sighed.

"_This guy… is weird after all…" _She wasn't really convinced with Dino being a 'nice boss', or 'nice host'. Probably because she never met someone like him before.

"Since you're obviously trying to get my attention… How old are you, then?"

"I wasn't trying-" Dino started, but after he looked at Nike, who was supporting her head with one hand while grinning slightly, he knew she was juts trying to make fun of him and answered:

"I turned 20 last month."

"Oh? Than you're not much older than I am," Nike shrugged.

"Not more than 3 ½ years," Dino agreed smiling. Nike eyed him for a second before turning her attention to her hot chocolate again. She didn't know why, but even though she didn't know what to think of Dino himself yet, his smile kinda gave her a warm feeling, which was probably why she couldn't look at him for long. She simply wasn't used to something that made her feel that way. However, since she was convinced that she would stay with him longer than a week, she tried not to think about it.

"_This guy could probably woo any woman.. Too bad that this doesn't work with me." _Nike thought to herself, not showing any of her thoughts in her expression.

"Say, since when are you part of Genesis?" Dino now asked and sipped on his coffee. Nike glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and simply answered:

"Since I'm 5."

"Wha-!" Dino almost spilled his coffee.

"What?" she asked.

"Sorry, I just thought… that that's kinda young," Dino hesitated.

"Really?" Nike asked bored. She had never really thought about it. Dino didn't know what to say anymore, and thought about how to change the subject, then suddenly had an idea.

"Maybe you should tell us what you like to eat and what not. Or just ask if you need something. No one's gonna bite you."

"Okay," Nike nodded. "And that would be better, since I'd bite back," she added with a grin.

He looked at her and laughed. As long as he didn't mention anything about Genesis, Nike was actually pretty cool, and easy to get along with. And somehow, his interest in her grew more.

However, before he could ask anything else, Reborn walked inside the room and jumped on the chair across from Nike.

"Where were you?" Dino asked his tutor kinda warily.

"You'll know soon enough," he answered with a sly grin.

Dino and Nike glanced at each other, and after looking at Dino, Nike knew that he had a bad feeling about what Reborn had said.

"All right, we're going on a little excursion," Reborn stated suddenly.

"Ehh?" Nike raised an eyebrow.

"What are you planning now?" Dino asked.

"Like I said, you'll know soon enough." Reborn smirked devious.

"And that's what I'm worrying about…" Dino mumbled.

"We're going!" Reborn said an jumped up.

Dino sighed and stood up, while Nike had the urge to bang her head against the table.

"_I really thought I could laze around… Since I don't even get what I'm supposed to do here."_ But she stood up anyway, though rather unwilling.

"Okay, let's go for all I care."

After walking outside, Dino stopped in front of his car.

Nike just stood there dumbfounded while eyeing his red Ferrari.

"What is that?"

"Hm? My car?" he answered.

"I can see that. But don't you think you're attracting a bit too much attention with that?" she eyed him with crossed arms.

"But I like it." he grinned.

"Oh, hell yeah I like it too…" she lifted her hands. "But you-" she wanted to continued, but after seeing his grinning face, she stopped. "Whatever."

"Okay, can we go now?" he asked friendly and opened the car's door for her.

"Whoa, wait. I'm not gonna drive with you in the same car," Nike waved her hands in surrender and stepped back.

"_I'm not suicidal," _she added thinking.

"C'mon, don't be like that," he still grinned and nodded over to his car. Nike let out a sigh of defeat and climbed in the Ferarri.

"Okay, if I'm gonna die, at least Rika wouldn't be able to nag anymore. And I'd die in a damn hot car."

~~~Later~~~

"What are we doing here?" Nike asked Reborn calmly, while she eyed her surroundings. After driving for a while, they arrived at a secluded place in the middle of nowhere. To be exact, they were next to a lake.

"_But I'm still alive after driven with that guy," _Nike thought and shrugged, then turned around and pointed at Dino's man that had apparently followed them.

"And why are those guys here?"

"We were just worried about the boss," they laughed and Nike looked at them in disbelief.

"_Worried? About their boss? Where am I?" _She really couldn't believe it.

"Geez, you guys worry too much," Dino smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Stop with the chatting," Reborn interrupted them now.

Nike looked at him and now noticed that he held something in his hand, along with carrying a devious smirk.

After looking at what he held in his hand, a slight confusion overcame her. Then she looked back at Dino while pointing at Reborn and asked:

"What does he want with your turtle?"

Dino's head shot around and he began to sweat nervously.

"Enzo! That's not good!" he said and was still nervous.

"What's going on?" Nike asked, surprised at his reaction and looked back at Reborn.

Reborn's face darkened, though he still smirked. Then he turned around and threw Enzo in the lake. Dino and his subordinates looked shocked and Nike eyed them deadpan.

"What's with the ruckus…?"

Then suddenly the ground began to vibrate and it seemed that something big was about to come out of the water.

"Huh?" Nike stared at the water, then noticed that Reborn's chameleon Leon had turned into an umbrella.

Then suddenly, Enzo came out of the water, and was even bigger than a house, splashing water over everyone that stood next to the lake, including Nike, much to said girls annoyance.

"What-the-hell?" Nike asked slowly and simply gaped at Enzo for a few seconds, then face palmed annoyed and added sarcastically:

"Of course. It's a Godzilla turtle."

"We can't do anything when he's so big. Run!" Dino yelled and grabbed Nike's wrist.

She looked confused and stumbled after him before realizing that held her wrist and pulled her arm back immediately.

"What the heck is up with your turtle?" She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, pointing at Enzo.

"He grows when he comes in contact with water," Dino answered guiltily.

"His biggest size is enough to crash a house and his aggressiveness increases as well!" Reborn stated, who had suddenly appeared on top of Dino's shoulder.

"Oh, how great," Nike said sarcastically, then looked for a way to prevent to get crushed by Enzo.

The she saw some rocks, grabbed Dino by his jacked and jumped with him behind them, wanting to hide from the gigantic turtle.

"This got nothing to do with a relaxing job," Nike slightly banged he back of her head against the rock. "In fact, this is almost as worse as the killer-robot.""

"Why did you do that, Reborn!" Dino asked his tutor after seeing the irritated Nike.

"I thought you two could need some entertainment," he grinned.

"That's not entertaining!" Dino responded and mentally facepalmed.

Then suddenly, Dino looked up and looked very serious.

"Damn, as if I'd stay here!" Then he jumped out of hiding and ran to over to his men, wanting to come to their aid before someone would get crushed by Enzo.

"What is he doing?" Nike shot up and couldn't believe what he did.

"He's helping his men out?" Reborn said.

"I can see that but why? He'll get squished if he's not careful."

"Dino cares about his familia, that's all," Reborn explained. Nike studied Reborn with her eyes for a while, then looked back at Dino who had meanwhile helped one of his subordinates that had tripped.

"He really does care about people…" Nike said calmly, but with a thoughtful expression. Reborn smirked.

"You doubted that?"

"I… because I never met someone like him before," Nike answered after hesitating.

"What are you gonna do now?" Reborn asked her and seemed to be plotting something.

"Oh, damn it!" Nike said and jumped on top of the rocks. "Don't misunderstand," she said to the Arcobaleno before running over to Dino.

"Hmm~ seems like my plan works just fine, right, Leon?" Reborn smirked pleased.

Meanwhile Nike grabbed Dino by his collar and pushed herself to the side. Dino lost his balance and fell down next to her, before Enzo could step on one of them.

Both panted and Dino looked surprised at Nike.

"You helped me?" he asked with a slight grin.

"I begin to understand why you need someone to watch out for you," Nike sighed.

"Really? I'm sorry," he laughed. "But thank you."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him troubled, annoyed, yet seemed to know that his words made her happy.

Hearing 'Thank you' for someone like her was rare.

"You don't have to thank me. If I got Rika right, it's my job to watch out that you don't do something stupid." Nike let out a heavy sigh and leaned back after running her hand through her hair.

"If you say so," he said amused and smiled while Enzo seemed to calm down and shrunk again.

Nike snorted with a small laugh and sat up, resting her arms on her tucked up legs.

"I've never met such a douche bag like you. I wasn't convinced with your 'nice guy' façade, but okay I get it now. You're so nice that you're even dumb enough to risk your own life."

"Douche bag..?" Dino twitched, but then cleared his throat and said slyly: "Hey, but you helped that douche bag."

Nike looked at him and shook her head with slight grin.

"I give up. All right then, Bucking Horse. For the time being, I'm willing to work together with you."

She held her hand out and he seemed shocked and surprised.

"I thought you don't want to be touched?"

"I hate it, so make it short," Nike responded briefly. He nodded, shook her hand and let go again. She pulled her hand back and tried to calm her heartbeat. She wasn't okay with it after all. She thought it would make her feel as uncomfortable as ever, but even though she still didn't like it, it wasn't as bad as she'd expected.

Then Nike stood up and walked over to Reborn, who smirked after he saw her.

"What're you grinning about?" Nike asked and crossed her arms.

"You're interested?" he asked instead of answering."

"Huh?"

"I asked if you're interested in Dino," he repeated.

Nike turned around, looked at Dino who was checking if his subordinates were all right before picking up the normal sized Enzo. Then she looked back at Reborn and showed him a confident smirk.

"He's a way too nice idiot who cares way too much. So yeah, I guess he is interesting."

"Heh~ That's good. Rika said you're pretty eager when it comes to something you're interested in," Reborn stated.

"Hmm? Really? Seems like that's true…" she shrugged. "But one thing after another." Nike now placed her hand in her trouser pockets and suddenly remembered something.

"Ah, say, did Rika tell you how long I'll stay with you guys?" She was thinking he'd answer a week, maybe two, but what he said was slightly different from what she expected.

"She said she'd come and check on you next months, but that you'll stay about three."

Nike's bored expression changed into a shocked one.

"Three months!" She facepalmed. "Oh, c'mon!"

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed the second chapter :3<p>

I hope Nike won't bang her head somewhere, I still need her to continue my story XD

Anyway, I'll try to update at least once a week, if there's a delay, I usually make up for it as soon as I have holidays. School is the worst enemy of all hobbies after all xD

So, please~ give my review button a hug :D

See you next time, *bows, waves* Bye~ ^.^


	3. SightSeeing á la Reborn

Hey everyone. First, I' SO sorry that you had to wait so long for this chapter! My mom's hospitalized since a bit more than 2 weeks, and I just couldn't put my mind into writing. And since I don't have any other family, I had to manage everything on my own, so my time was kinda limited. So again, I'm very sorry. I'll make up for it when my holidays start.

Anyway, reading all your reviews made me happy, so thank you a lot :D

I hope you'll enjoy the 3rd chapter. I apologize for any mistakes or confusions. I'll try to fix everything, or answer your questions. I'm open for criticism (no flames) and improvement suggestions as well.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KHR, I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light<strong>

~~~Sight-Seeing á la Reborn~~~

"3 months…" Nike muttered and was lying with crossed arms and legs on a tree branch in front of the Cavallone-mansion. One week had passed since she started living there.

"_If I see Rika, I'm gonna kick her ass," _she thought and stood up. She knew where this was going and didn't like it one bit that way. A week? Ok. A month? Maybe. 3 months? No way.

Then she closed her eyes for a while, covered her eyes with one of her favourite realms, and put on her headphones, that were attached to her shiny, baby blue MP3 player, though still keeping her guard up like always. But suddenly felt someone's presence behind her. She shot up at the split of a second, causing her book and MP3 player to fall out of the tree, and looked into the direction she had felt the presence coming from. But there was no one. Nike sighed and was about to jump down to get her stuff she had dropped. But then … suddenly:

"Ciaossu, Nike!"

Nike was so startled that she almost fell out of the tree, only able to clamp on the branch she was sitting on with one leg and her arms. Nike probably looked like a shocked cat after it was stepped on its tail.

Then she let out a heavy sigh and pulled herself up again.

"Yo, Reborn," she said but stopped, eyeing the baby with a slight confusion. He was standing there in a rather weird getup.

"Say…", she started again.

"Yes?" he grinned.

"Why are you wearing a ninja costume?" she asked straight-faced, though still slightly confused, while eyeing his dark blue ninja outfit.

"Because it looks cool," he answered. "Sure. I'm sorry, how could I not notice?" Nike responded and raised her arms in mock surrender.

"Nike," Reborn suddenly said.

"What?" she asked.

"What were you thinking about just now?" he asked way too calmly for Nike's liking. After shooting him a glance, Nike realized that Reborn knew the answer anyway.

"That Rika's pissing me off." She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Because you have to stay here for so long?" He smirked. Nike looked at him and rubbed the back of her head, not knowing of she should answer or not.

"No, because I don't like were this job is going."

"Because you're told to watch out for that idiot?" Reborn asked, referring to Dino while still smirking.

"People like me are not suited to protect someone," she said calmly after a pause, her expression seemingly empty and somehow gave the impression that something pained her.

While Reborn eyed Nike with a dark and thoughtful expression, Nike said, changing her expression into a bored one, and sounded rather monotone:

"Ughh… so boring. What is the Bucking Horse working at in his office all day, anyway?"

"You're bored?" Reborn smirked once again. "How about we throw Enzo in a pond?"

Nike looked at him distrustful from the corner of her eyes.

"After the 'Godzilla turtle' incident last time? I don't think so."

She jumped off the tree, cushioning the blow with crouching down, then stood up.

"Where are you going?" Reborn asked, still standing on the tree branch.

"Don't know. Dally away time, my boredom… might as well go annoy the Bucking Horse." she shrugged and started walking after picking up her stuff.

"I see," he said and smirked once again. Nike looked over hear shoulder and shot him a glance, trying to maintain a low profile while doing so.

"_What's he up to now? I probably don't want to know…"_

While she walked through the inner courtyard, she was greeted a few times, responding Dino's friendly subordinates with a short wave of her hand or a nod, before stopping at the mansion's huge door and looking up to the windows…

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Dino was looking through his paperwork, that rather seemed to be more than less since the last time he had checked it.

He rubbed his neck that already became stiff after sitting at his office table for 3 hours. Then he turned his head slightly, looking at the clock that stood on his table.

"It's already noon?" he wondered.

He piled the documents he was looking through earlier neatly up, but suddenly heard a knocking noise and looked up.

"Eh?" Nobody seemed to be at the door, so he shook his head once and started paying attention to the documents again, but was wondering if Reborn was playing a prank on him again.

Then he turned to the window, and suddenly thought he would get an heart attack, letting go of all the documents that were now flying through his office.

"Whoa! What are you doing!"

Nike was looking upside down through his window, waving both of her arms while clamping her legs onto the tree that stood in front of the building. After being startled for a second, he let out a short laugh, stood up and opened the window before stepping aside, so that Nike could jump in.

After landing -feet first- in his room, she let out a short, but satisfied sigh.

"Yo," she said with a half-hearted salute.

"Were you trying to give me a scare, or what?" he asked grinning.

"Well, I was just bored, and since I can't annoy Rika, I thought I'd give it a try with you." she said somehow joky and shrugged.

"You don't annoy me, you just surprised me there," he responded with a wry grin, then added amused: "Do you usually enter through the window? We've got doors, you know?"

"Ehh.." she rubbed the back of her head slowly, and seemed to be remembering something that irritated her.

"No, it's just that you can't enter Rika's office through the door, since there are all these documents that prevent you from opening the door.. So I guess it's a habit?"

He chuckled. "At least I try to tidy up. Reborn always forced me to clean up, and since his beatings hurt a lot…" he said and went on after a pause. "But as you see I'm not always able to force myself…" he looked around and scratched the back of his head.

Nike's eyes first fell on his office table. It looked like he had done lots of paper work, judging all the documents that were stacked on top of it. Then she looked around the room. The books that stood in shelves all seemed as if they were being used, though still handled as carefully as possible. Also, there was no alphabetic order, but Nike knew by one glance that Dino must have had his own chaotic way to keep is stuff in place, that yet seemed strangely tidy.

"_How strange… That's a nice feeling…" _Nike thought as she tried to turn her eyes away. It was only his office, yet even such a place gave off a warm feeling.

"Your room looks occupied, not messy and neither sterile, so it's fine," she finally managed to say, not wanting to let her thoughts go any further, even less when it involved such a topic.

"Is that a compliment?" he asked amused.

"I guess?" she responded and raised an eyebrow while grinning slightly.

"Well then, thank you," he said and added somehow jokingly: "I guess."

Nike then found herself eyeing his room again. Her expression changed into a blank one. She was giving in to her thoughts, after all.

"What's up?" Dino asked her, noticing that she looked at his room.

"I thought about how I never stay long at one place, so I don't have time to make a mess myself," Nike said somehow absent-minded. Dino studies her expression until she noticed it and looked at him.

Dino's look changed into a questioning, but worried one. He wasn't expecting such an answer and didn't really know how to answer, so he decided to change the topic.

"You said that you were bored." He cleared his throat. "I just finished looking through my paperwork. So how about I show you around the town?"

Nike looked at him. She knew that he had read her mood. A thing only very few people could do. Nike actually thought no one could.

"_He's interesting after all." _Nike thought, then responded:

"Fine. At least it's better than staying near that Arcobaleno. I have the feeling that he's planning something, again."

Dino had a somehow nervous and frantic grimace, as he said:

"You're right, but-" Nike walked past him, with a slight confusion, as he held the door open for her. "I can assume that there really isn't a time where he _isn't_ planning something."

~~~Later~~~

"I can't believe that I'm driving with you in the same car… again," Nike stated, having the urge to facepalm at her own actions, not knowing if she should consider herself stupid by driving with Dino, or simply being amused by it.

She ended up decided for the later.

"But you're doing it," Dino countered. "Are you doubting my driving skills?"

"Rather than doubting your driving skills, I'm doubting your abilities to coordinate your body," Nike responded playfully.

He shot his head around and looked embarrassed.

"So basically you're saying I'm a klutz?"

She had to choke a laugher. His startled-embarrassed expression was almost comically. Then she said cheekily:

"Oh yes, I am."

"Thanks," he sighed depressed, but then his eyes suddenly peered up.

"We arrived!" He parked his car and stepped out of the car. Nike stared out of the windscreen, trying to shield her eyes from the sunlight. Not a second later Dino opened the car door for her from the outside, after getting out himself.

She eyed him and didn't know how to react. Treating a soldier like a lady wasn't what Nike had learned, and just confused her.

"Thanks," she mumbled and got out of the car. When she looked around, Nike found herself surrounded by a crowd.

While Dino walked a few meters, Nike saw that something flashed in the Ferrari's back mirror, and shot around, looking at the buildings that were pretty far away. She couldn't have known that a certain hitman was observing them with green spyglasses and a devious grin.

"_Hehe~ Leon, time to get rid of Nike's boredom~"_

"_Is there someone?.. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" _Nike meanwhile thought, having a cold chill running down her spine, but then turned to Dino again.

"Where are we?" Nike asked, then saw the slanted tower, that seemed to be surrounded by tourists."I wanted to show you the town, so I thought I could show you some sights as well, and here we are!" Dino said and grinned.

"Is it just me, or was the architect of this tower drunk?" she asked with a sarcastic grin, eyeing the tower.

"That's… not it…" he let out a rather half-hearted laugh while looking at her in disbelief.

Nike shook her head lightly. "I was just joking. The tower looks amazing and detailed. I can understand why natives are proud of it. It's just that I don't really have an eye for things like that, I guess."

"Is that so?" he smiled at her while Nike still looked at the tower.

Then she turned around and noticed that he still looked at her, causing her to blink a few times. He averted her eyes and cleared his throat, noticing that he had been staring at her.

"So-" he started, but Nike interrupted him.

"So, you're gonna be my tour guide today?" she asked in mocking way. She was somehow doubting that he wouldn't mess up.

"I thought you weren't interested," Dino now responded and smiled.

"Maybe I just never had the time for such interests. I'm counting on you, Mr. Tour Guide," Nike said and saluted, not acting serious at all.

"All right!" he laughed and turned on his heels. "We should start with-"

*BOOM*

Before he could finish his sentence, he ran against the only lamppost that was around, hitting his face. The only one Nike could see within a radius of 50 meters, however.

"Ouch…"

"And you wonder why everyone keeps calling you a klutz?" Nike asked mischievously, staring at Dino who rubbed his face.

"I.. didn't see the lamppost…" he protested slightly pouting, and still in pain.

"Yeah right," Nike said cynically, not being able to stop grinning. "Ah, by the way…"

Dino stopped rubbing his face and looked at her in a receptive, but questioning way.

Nike, now convinced that he was listening to her, pointed at the top of the leaning tower's top and furrowed her browns in confusion, giving Dino the feeling that she was close on being on edge.

"What's up with that?"

Dino followed her hand, then his face just fell in shock. He gaped at the top of the tower and was simply speechless. _In a bad way._

"I can't believe it! Nothing's safe if it involves him!" Dino facepalmed.

Nike still stared at the top of the tower, that was decorated with a large Reborn-balloon.

"So that's why you said you don't have an eye for these things, eh?"

Nike nodded at Dino's question.

"I'm just not the type for… abstract art?"

"You're right. That's.. too abstract," he said and grimaced in disbelief. Then suddenly, both of their expressions darkened. Someone was roping down the leaning tower on a green rope.

"Ciaossu!" Reborn greeted with a sly grin after stopping in midair.

"Reborn! What are you doing here!" Dino asked and was already a bit irked. He knew as soon as his tutor was planning something, it couldn't be anything good.

"Hoho~ You took Nike to go sightseeing, and I'm showing her the important sights, as you see~ So, how do you like 'The Leaning Tower of _Reborn_'?"

Nike eyed him warily. Her bad feeling from earlier seemed to be justified.

"Why do I have the feeling that asking what you've planned next won't be anything good?" Dino asked and crossed his arms in front of his chest, actually everything but excited to hear his answer.

"I wonder~" Reborn responded, looking as innocent as a demon baby that was about to plan the apocalypse.

A cold chill ran down Dino's spine, as Leon suddenly turned into a glider and Reborn pointed at the top of the tower without looking.

"Have fun with my trial~" he said and started flew away. "See you later~"

Both, Dino and Nike didn't want to look up, but did so after hearing a weird noise.

After looking at the balloon, they knew that it was going to explode.

"Are you serious?" Nike asked lamely, but unnerved, while Dino suggested:

"Let's get outta here."

Both started running to Dino's car, and just as they were about to arrive, Dino tripped and fell down.

Nike scoffed, ran back and pulled him up on his jacket.

"Seriously pal, you're kinda troublesome!"

That very moment the balloon exploded. Nike realized that something that had been inside the balloon, and not a second later, a huge amount of water rained down on them and other tourists.

After a short, unwilling shower, both looked at each other, dripping wet.

"So that was inside the balloon…" Dino stood there dumbfounded, while Nike coughed and tugging on her favourite leather jacket that was a mess.

"That bastard…" she hissed under her breath with a _very_ dark face.

~~~Later~~~

Nike tried not to sneeze, as she felt goosebumps covering her still slightly wet skin, even though the warm sun did a good job drying her, and her clothes. After all, Mai just had started. The weather was nice, the sun warm, and Nike, even though she wouldn't have wanted to say it out loud, enjoyed the atmosphere around her.

She grew especially attached to the large fountain she was waiting at.

While Nike searched for a clock with her eyes, Dino walked in her field of vision and held out a cup with a hot liquid inside, while looking at her with a suave smile.

While Nike began to eye the cup warily, he let out one, short chuckle. Her expression reminded him of a child ones, that was about to be forced to eat vegetables.

"You don't like coffee, right? Don't worry, it's cacao," he said patiently before sitting down next to her, still smiling at the petite girl, which wet hair sparkled as the afternoon sun touched it.

The corners of Nike's mouth lifted up after hearing his words, before she took the cup.

"Thank you," she said, but then she started to grimace after thinking about Reborn. "But I still want to kill that Arcobaleno off."

"If I'd tell you how often he almost drove me crazy, you'll lose all hope that he'll stop anytime soon. He loves making fun of people way too much," Dino sighed and already gave up thinking Reborn would stop with his so called 'trials'.

Nike nodded irked. "I understand that. Rika's not any better. She would have used some kind of acid instead of water, though."

Dino didn't know how to respond. The way she said it seemed like she remembered something similar.

Nike grinned at his horrified expression, probably knowing that he tried to visualize something.

"At least that with the balloon was original."

"If you think that was original, then you'll be surprised what he's capable of. I'm sure he has planned a real trial if he already came all the way after us," Dino mumbled frustrated and sipped on the coffee he had brought for himself.

"Yosha!" he suddenly shot up, almost causing Nike to burn herself on her cocoa. "You know, that wasn't all I wanted to show you. And though Reborn probably knows where I plan to take you, we can also face his stupid trial. No use running, anyway," he went on.

Nike gave him a sceptical look. "You're okay with it?"

"If he wants you to take his trial, you will. Even if you can avoid one of them, I assure you the next one will be worse," he explained, but didn't seem to happy about it, either.

"If you say so…" Nike mumbled and stood up as well. "I'd kick Rika's ass if I could, though I know it's no use either."

Then both entered the car and Dino was about to start the it. But before that, he turned to her with a grin.

"Don't spill your cocoa."

Nike responded him with a mocking look:

"You are the klutz. And you're worried about _me_ spilling _my_ cocoa?"

He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, if you say so."

~~~A little later~~~

After they had arrived at their next destination, Dino wanted to help her out of the car again, but Nike was faster this time. After she stepped outside, her eyes fell on a seemingly old build. Even though almost nothing but ruins remained, it still looked amazing to her. Nike couldn't stop herself from making a remark, though.

"I guess it was pretty wet in the rainy season. Without a roof and all, you know."

"There is a pretty old statue inside. Wanna have a closer look at it?" he asked with a laugh after hearing her joke. Or at least he took it like one.

"Why not?" she responded with a shrug. "You're the Tour Guide."

They went inside and had a closer look at the building, until Nike saw something that almost made her want to leave right away.

Dino saw that she stopped and followed her gaze. As soon as he noticed the thing that she saw, he felt the same way Nike did.

Dino was right. In the middle of the arena stood a huge statue, but just didn't look like Nike had expected it to.

It was a Gladiator-Reborn statue, made of something that looked like bronze and was at least twice as tall as Dino.

"He's really extreme. Even when it comes to this," Dino said and slumped his shoulders, while Nike's eyebrow twitched irritated. She eyed the statue, then noticed something at the bottom.

"_Are those wheels?"_ She was thinking of the worst case scenario, but Nike couldn't have known, no matter what she imagined…

_It was worse._

"Bucking Horse." Nike tried to get Dino's attention. He looked down to her, but before that, he thought a bit disappointed:

"_Nike's calling me Bucking Horse, again, eh?"_

"What-" he then started, but she already turned on her heels and called over her shoulder:

"I'm outta here. I don't wanna get involved with your tutor's weird trials."

Dino walked after her and thought the same thing. The last thing he wanted was that Reborn would ruin his plans.

Just when they were about to step outside, they heard that something moved. Nike really didn't want to look, but just had to. Dino felt uncomfortable as well and looked over his shoulder.

As soon as they saw what was happening, it was already to late to escape. The statue began to move, with the real Reborn sitting on top of it, wearing a gladiator costume.

"Hoho~ here comes my trial. If you can stay alive, you win~" Reborn said with a mocking voice.

Shortly after that he took out a remote control and an antenna moved out of the statue's top. Not a second later, the state started to move and raised the sword it carried, while saying with its mechanic voice, disgusting Nike:

"Ciaossu!"

It sped up and came now driving into Dino's and Nike's direction while Reborn made the statue swing its sword, almost destroying the ruins that surrounded them.

Dino and Nike started running, at least until Dino decided to stop.

"I've got no choice," Dino sighed and brought out his whip. Nike's stood there with an unfazed expression, yet her eyes widened in shock after noticing that Dino was abut to use his whip.

"You really shouldn't-" Nike said, but it was already to late. She heard the cracking sound of his whip. She already wanted to give in to her feeling he could handle his whip just fine, but then…

He hit himself.

Nike facepalmed and let her hand slowly slide down her face.

"This can't be true..."

She started running back, though she had no idea how to stop the large statue, that actually seemed to be a robot… in disguise.

Just why did she think of the killer robot now? Maybe because of the rockets and lasers the Reborn-robot now took out? She stopped next to Dino and asked, focusing on the robot:

"Any ideas how to stop this thing?"

"The last time he brought out something like that, part of my house got destroyed until I managed to break its electric cables."

"And where the hell are they?" Nike asked now pulling him to the side. Meanwhile Reborn seemed to like the idea to shoot at them with laser canons now.

"We have an idea, boss!" they heard a familiar voice behind them say.

They turned around and found Romario, together with about another 20 of Din's subordinates behind them.

Dino just looked shocked, while Nike had the urge to bang her head against a wall.

"You guys! What are you doing here?" Dino asked, still perplexed.

"Either your subordinates are really worried about you, or they're stalkers." Nike remarked.

Then Romario and Ivan, another of Dino's subordinates, took out a bazooka, and shouted over to their boss and the annoyed girl:

"We'll try it with that!"

Before Dino could protest, they started shooting. Reborn's eyes blinked evilly, before jumping away.

Dino's and Nike's eyes followed the shot with their heads like a tennis ball that was being hit. Not a second later, the robot was hit and exploded.

The blast wave blew both, Dino and Nike, off their feet. A few moments later, Reborn appeared in front of them, wearing his normal attire again, and smirked.

"You pass~"

Dino sat up and couldn't stop staring at the place where the robot had exploded with a shocked expression, only managing to ask Nike:

"Are you all right?"

After hearing his question, Nike sat up.

"I-must-not-kill-the-Arcobaleno…" Nike strained herself to hiss these words, trying to stay as calmly as possible, while she pulled on her now charred leather jacket.

She actually wanted to nail through Reborn's head with a pen. Before she could start shouting, she turned to Dino, and said:

"Thanks to that Arcobaleno, I hate sight-seeing."

* * *

><p>*dies* Okay, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.<p>

I love sight-seeing, but just can't stand to have to listen to tour guides. Makes me wanna fall asleep XD But I thought Dino would make a good one, or a cute one, at least XD  
>So, next time you'll get to know what Nike and Dino think of haunted houses and ghosts XD I'm kinda trying to focus on the comedy part, since it will get more serious later on. Wait until Rika appears, and I'll probably show more of Nike's past, Genesis etc. Hope you guys stick with me until the end xD The romance (of course) has to develop.<p>

Anyway, I'd love if you'd give my review button a hug :D Hearing your opinions is imporant :3 Again, suggestions, or improvement suggestions are welcome ;) See ya next time, if you want to! *bows, waves* Bye-bye :D


	4. What's New Scooby Doo?

Yo everyone! Nice to be back after my long hiatus…I can only apologize. My mom's still in hospital, I have testing at school etc. But I guess I wouldn't care about that if I were you either xD Thanks for your support, reviews, story alerts etc! Makes me soooo happy (and pretty speechless too xD) x333, even if I didn't manage to reply to all of you! I'm sorry Dx *dances happily anyways and gets whacked by Nike*  
>*clears throat* Anyway, here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy it^^ I apologize for mistakes and will try to fix them.<p>

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHR, I only own my OCs

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light <strong>

~~~What's New Scooby Doo?~~~**  
><strong>

The heavy thunderstorm raged angrily and rain lashed against the car windows, letting big drops of water slowly run down the glass.

Nike, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was staring outside, watching the flashing thunderbolts that lit the night sky.

Whenever she heard the rumbling thunder or saw the flashing lightning that mirrored in her eyes, Nike fought against the urge to wince as she started to remember painful tags of her memories, feeling like she herself was struck. Not even the loud music her headphones rendered which she had pulled over her ears, could distract her.

Only Dino's warm voice brought Nike back to reality and even caused her to remove her headphones.

"Are you okay?"

She turned around, trying to seem lazy and asked: "Why do you ask…?"

"Well, you look a little pale. I thought you maybe don't like thunderstorms or something," he responded, eyeing her worried as long as he could afford to take his eyes off the road.

"I don't like them, but I don't mind them either," she simply said, turning her head to look out of the window again.

"_Once again, she pretty much avoided my question…" _Dino thought kinda disappointed and grimaced lightly, but what she then added, though she only mumbled, surprised him.

"It just makes me remember some things I rather wouldn't."

Now she herself noticed what she had said and furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance and confusion.

"_Why the heck did I just say that?" _She really was puzzled by he own actions. Nike never told anyone anything concerning herself since ages, yet she had been about to tell him something that she hated to admit even to herself.

But before she could think about it any further, the silence was broken by Dino's chuckle. He'd seen her expression that mirrored in the car window.

"What's so funny?" Nike asked and hiked her eyebrows up. He cracked a smile.

"Nothing."

"Then why-" Nike felt herself run over with slight irritation, but while he looked ahead, a gentle smile appeared on his lips.

"I just hope you could open up to me more."

This took Nike aback. She did her best not to let any confusion show, but her wide, shocked eyes showed her feelings clearly. Even angrier that her façade began to crumble, Nike forced her eyes downcast and rested her head in her hand.

His gently words made her remember things she really rather wouldn't have. Things she wanted to forget. Be it the thunderstorm or his words, it brought back things she had wrestled with ever since she was young.

Why? Just why did his words sound like those the person she wanted to forget had said to her when she was young? But again, they sounded so different coming from him. It was so confusing for Nike that it frustrated her.

Yet this feeling that caused her confusion, also caused something else. Something that felt warm from deep inside her, a nice-, yet strangely weird feeling that it was almost scary.

However, she decided to shove her thoughts along her feelings away, then noticed that Dino wrestled with a map he tried to unfold while not wanting to let go of the steering wheel.

Nike surpassed the urge to groan and snatched the piece of paper. It was however, a welcomed way to avoid the opther topic.

"Gimme that." After unfolding it, she studied it.

Both of them were given a map by Reborn before, being told to head to the place where the big red 'X' was marked on the old looking paper.

"I wonder what he's planning now," Dino said and noticed the time. Though it was only 7 pm it was already dark outside. Thanks to the thunderstorm.

"And I wonder what the hell meant when he said 'We'll view a house'. Sound like 'I want to burry you alive' to me," Nike scoffed. Nike still had the urge to staple Reborn's eyes shut after he had ruined her favourite jacket, even though the sight-seeing incident had happened weeks ago.

"Whatever it is, it will probably go out of hand," Dino responded and tried to see the road through his windshield wiper. Even with it, seeing far was almost impossible due to the heavy rain.

"Probably?" Nike asked and raised her eyebrows. "Don't you mean '_definitely_'?"

"I still have hope," he laughed, though he knew that his tutor wouldn't leave him any.

Nike groaned. "I wish I could say the same thing."

~~~Later~~~

After driving along a forest path for a while, that seemed more than creepy, they arrived.

Both got out of the car, Nike hurrying out as fast as she could, not wanting to let Dino play the gentleman for her again. They looked around and found a very old looking, wooden house, that looked like it had been build at least 80 years ago. It stood by itself, surrounded by dark looking trees, and not a single noise could be heard so far, only the noise of the continuing rainfall and thunderstorm.

"Great, so we're visiting Count Dracula?" Nike asked in a sarcastically-annoyed way, her expression matching her intonation.

"I honestly don't want to know," Dino responded trying to convince himself nothing would jump out of hiding. He turned around as he heard the wind howl.

Suddenly something began to move and something rustled within the bushes.

The rustling noises got louder and louder. Something seemed to head towards them, not taking a single moment to think about its actions.

Nike turned her upper body around, only mentally preparing herself for any kind of attack. Dino meanwhile wanted to bring his bullwhip out, but Nike hurried to hold one of her arms out and said:

"Don't…Just don't. " She would rather have begged him, since she knew whenever his subordinates weren't around, he would mess up. Completely.

"What are you saying!" Dino wanted to protest, but it was already to late. Something jumped out of hiding and… stopped in front of them.

Dino's face fell in disbelief, after the little hitman with a ghost costume said:

"Ciaossu!"

Dino then raised his voice slightly, saying crossly:

"What the heck are you doing, Reborn? You scared the hell out of us!"

Nike, who needed a while to realize how annoyed she was at Dino's tutor, corrected him rather casually.

"Scared the hell out of _you_," Then she looked at Reborn. "Anyway, what's up with this costume, and this house. Looks _'a bit_' rundown."

"This costumes fits today's trial I was thinking of for both of you," Reborn answered staidly.

"Trial?" Nike narrowed her eyes and turned on her heels, shaking one of her hands in dismissively.

"No-friggin'-way."

"Wah- Nike, wait!" Dino shot around, trying to hold her back.

"Why?" Nike looked over her shoulder. "If the Arcobaleno wants to see a trial, he should just go and do one by himself. Leave me out of this."

"Hehe~ Are you sure that you don't want to see the _interesting_ thing inside?" Reborn smirked and something glittered in his eyes. Nike turned around and walked back.

"Not really," she demanded with a darkening but calm face. Now Reborn obviously seemed to plot something. If he would have been a clockwork, she would have heard his clockwork rattle.

"So you're _scared _?"

Nike twitched. Now Reborn had Nike exactly there where he wanted her to be.

She frowned but Reborn simply smirked and Nike's face fell in annoyance.

"Ok, fine…" She gave in, but wanted to give herself a kick for getting manipulated.

"_Damn pride… And this fake little baby will make me lose my temper one day…"_

Dino had meanwhile followed their conversation, looking nervously back and forth between the two, not really knowing what to say.

"Nike," Dino then bend down to her. "You don't know what he's planning, and you're still wiling to go in there?"

"You said yourself that there isn't a way to avoid his trials," Nike shrugged with an almost comically straight face. "If you're scared to go in, wait here."

"Scared? Me? No way." Dino shook his head. "I just don't like Reborn's trials."

"Of course." Nike raised one eyebrow in a mocking but amused way. Then suddenly, Reborn jumped and stuffed a piece of paper in Dino's jacket pocket.

"Huh?" Dino searched for the paper inside his pocket and studied it after grabbing it.

"What's that?"

"That is a map of the house. Follow it, and you'll reach your goal," Reborn said, pointing at the paper.

"Sounds like treasure hunting…" Nike pointed out, before walking over to the wooden door. "Whatever, we're going."

After reaching the old door that lead into the house, also seeming like it was held together with rusty nails, she pushed the door open, hearing the creaking noise echoing in the empty, dark hallway inside.

After that, both stepped inside and the door made a sudden creaking noise again. Nike, who jerked around, only saw a smirking Reborn who waved at them from the outside before the door slammed shut.

"I don't think we can get out. This door is more solid than it seems, "Dino told her after rattling the door.

"Che! This little...!" she hissed under her breath and her eyebrows twitched irritated.

Dino slumped his shoulders and let his fingers run through his silky golden hair.

"Seems more like a dare of courage than 'house viewing' to me."

"My whole life is a dare of courage," he heard Nike mumble as she slammed her hand in her neck. "So let's just get over with this. Oh yeah and.. gentleman first," she added and pointed at the endless seeming corridor.

"Sure, why not?" Dino responded almost sarcastic, not having the least bit of interest to walk through the house any further.

The corridor was not letting in a single ray of light, not even the loose, rotten planks which seemed to hold the house together.

Nike eyed her surrounding from time to time after her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, walking with her hands in her pockets.

Old pictures that seemed like they weren't dusted down for ages, old looking furniture and not one source of light besides some burned down, unlit candles.

But while Nike got bored, Dino thought about his own troubles, starting to doubt the mentality of his tutor.

"_I bet Reborn planned some really crazy stuff.. Just thinking about it makes me wanna leave right away… But I can't just leave Nike alone.. And he seemed to have locked the exit too."_ Then suddenly, he looked up, stopped and turned around, almost causing Nike to bump into him.

"What are you doing?" she asked bored with an raised eyebrow, trying to look past him since she couldn't even look over his shoulder standing on her tiptoes.

"Nothing. Just wanted to check if you were all right, I guess?" he stated completely naturally, almost nonchalantly. Nike furrowed her brows and looked as confused as if she had seen how a rhinoceros had tried to enter a house through a cat flap.

"W-What's wrong?" Dino asked, not knowing how to interpret her expression.

"Why would you do _that?_" she asked still staring at him.

"Do what?"

"Checking up on me?"

Now Dino was confused. "Why wouldn't I"?

"Because-" Nike started, but stopped. It was simply not common for her that someone would look out for her.

"It's normal to worry about others. Not to leave them on they're own in _this_ kind of place," Dino chuckled seeing her hard thinking expression. Now he suddenly noticed how his hand moved on it's own. He wanted to ruffle her hair, but pulled back before she noticed his actions.

"_What the heck am I doing?" _he thought and wanted to slap himself. Meanwhile Nike felt like someone had slapped her across the face with a shovel.

"_What's.. up with that? He's so different from the people I know…"_

When she looked at him, she noticed that he was still looking at her.

"Aren't we supposed to keep walking?" she asked.

"Oh.. I was just waiting for you," he responded after realizing Nike had been talking to him.

"_Seriously I stare too much at her…" _he thought and let out a sigh.

"Waiting for me?" Nike repeated mockingly with a light smirk.

Dino shrugged. "Dunno why, but I noticed that you're always walking behind me. It would be easier to talk to you if you'd walk next to me, ya' know?"

Now she stared at him with big, blank eyes, perplexed once again, while Dino turned around to walk again.

"You-" she stopped and crossed her arms. "What kind nonsense are you blabbering about now?"

"But it's true," he responded and turned his head around, since she was walking behind him again.

Nike was just about to take a breath to protest, but then ended up saying was right.

Now that the 16-year old thought about it, she usually always walked behind Rika, since she had never liked it when Nike was walking next to her, giving off a vibe of authority while walking in front of her subordinates.

And Nike also had never the urge to do it anyway. Annoying Rika was safer from a safe distance…

But now that Nike caught a glimpse of Dino's back, resting her eyes on his furry jacket before finding herself studying his back further, she noticed that, though he was tall and slim, his shoulders were rather broad and that he has a very athletic body altogether.

"_What the heck am I thinking?" _Nike asked herself and forced herself to look away, but looked back soon after that. Then she quickened her pace.

When Dino was about to sigh slightly disappointed, he noticed that Nike now walked beside him, facing ahead, almost seeming to force herself not to face him.

A wide, satisfied smile touched his lips as he looked at Nike, who glimpsed at him shortly from the corner of her eyes and looked back ahead, repeating her actions like a nervous child, though she seemed completely calm besides that.

"_She can actually be really cute…" _he thought and snickered, causing Nike to turn at him with a grimace.

"What's so funny now?"

He looked at her and still smiled, though now more amused than anything else.

"Don't worry about it."

"As long as it wasn't anything perverted" she remarked jokingly with a shrug, then eyed him shortly from the corner of her eyes before facing ahead again. Then she thought, feeling strangely uneasy, though it didn't give her bad feeling at all:

"_Walking next to him… is really not _that_ bad…"_

~~~A little later~~~

"How long is this corridor here anyway?" Nike groaned and got the urge to bang her head against the next sturdy object she'd encounter.

"Told you this wasn't a good odea," Dino responded with a half-sob, half-laugh.

Then suddenly, the corridor ended and some stairs leaded to the next floor. The stairs looked everything but inviting, seeming like they'd break after someone tried to step on them.

Nike eyed them blankly before going ahead and stepping on the first stair.

"Hey, watch out!" Dino warned her. Nike turned around and saw his nervous expression.

"As long as that killer turtle of yours won't grow any bigger, the stairs should be save," Nike said and threw her thumb over her shoulder with a grin.

"Fine," Dino said and walked after her. He wanted to get out of that house as soon as possible.

Both were about to walk upstairs but suddenly heard a cacking noise. They looked down, then at each other.

Suddenly the stairs flattened and turned into a slide. Both of them lost their footing. The floor downstairs opened up and a large, deep whole appeared out of nowhere, causing them to fall inside after sliding down.

"What the hell..!" Nike cursed irritated and noticed that the floor came rushing up. She flipped in the air and wanted to land on her feet. Unfortunately, Dino was landing at the same spot she planned to and crushed into him.

"Ouch.." Dino winced and opened his eyes, seeing Nike who was sitting beside him, rubbing her forehead.

"Crash landing.." Nike grumbled and stood up, dusting herself down. After Dino stood up as well, he looked around.

Nike who did the same felt irritated and frustrated as she saw so many doors that searching for the exit was going to be a hassle.

"This little bastard is dead," she said with a deathly calm, referring to Reborn. Dino glanced at her nervously, but then they decided to go ahead.

They walked through the next corridor and the black doors looked like they were hiding torture chambers.

Dino couldn't' find a way to describe how creepy he had found this place was. The only thing that was missing was blood smeared on the walls. And there one honestly imagined that he should have been used to Reborn's trials!

However, when he looked at Nike, he was more amazed how normal she seemed to find the situation.

He couldn't judge if she was just fairly calm and laid-back, or just simply indifferent.

Suddenly the girl seemed to decide that she had to open one of the black coloured doors, and Dino had to swallow as she was about to grab the doorknob

"Geez I really wonder how you can stay so calm," Dino said with his hands in his trouser pockets.

When she looked up for a second, Dino noticed the short, sarcastic smirk that appeared on her lips as she remarked:

"Because it's so cosy here."

"Then I don't want to know what you think of as uncomfortable," he responded with a wry grin.

Suddenly, after Nike had gripped the doorknob, her face suddenly turned blank, then withdrew her hand.

"Oh…" she simply said.

"What?" Dino asked. She showed him her palm and Dino's eyes widened in shock. Her palm was red.

"B-Blood!" he spluttered. Nike shrugged.

"I guess."

"How can you stay so calm even now!" Dino asked in disbelief.

"Cuz I'm used to things like that," she sighed, more bothered to answer his questions than about something else.

Now he was perplexed.

"_How can someone get used to things like that?" _he thought and it somehow made him feel sorry for her.

Then he began to shudder in disgust as she grabbed the doorknob again and it somehow made a sounds as if she had touched something sticky.

"Why-!" he started, but she interrupted him.

"Cuz I want to open the door…" she responded, trying not to let him notice how disgusted she herself felt.

Anyway, Nike opened the door. She shouldn't have done that, since a second later, a swarm of bats flew out of the room and almost caused both of them to lose their footing.

Nike slammed the door shut again without a single comment and both blinked at each other in silence. Dino really wanted to shout at Reborn. Badly.

"So you really _wanted_ to open that door, huh?" Dino mumbled.

Not a second later, Nike stared at her hand and said once again:

"Oh.."

Dino hesitated to ask. "What is it now?"

"Raspberry jam."

"Eh?" Dino blinked in confusion. Nike held out her hand and showed him her palm.

"That's not blood, that's raspberry jam."

Now that she said it, the red, sticky thing on her hand gave off a rather sweet scent.

Dino let out a sigh. This day was way too damn long already.

However, as both decided to keep going, while Nike already imagined how fun it could be to torture Reborn, they heard a hiss. Both shot around and saw something glowing red at the other side of the corridor, where they came from.

"G-Ghost?" Dino's facial futures slipped.

"Stupid, how is that possible?" Nike shot him a disbelieving glance before eyeing the two glowing spots again, that seemed to move on top of that. Before Nike could add anything else, something started ticking.

Dino grabbed Nike's wrist without thinking to run down the corridor.

Nike, completely caught off guard by Dino, rather that being worried about being shot, flinched and wanted to jerk her arm away as she felt his warm hand. But before she was able to do so, she noticed that around the corner some stairs would lead them upstairs again, and she looked over her shoulder while continuing to run.

The something that ticked revealed itself to be a bomb in chameleon, and then it exploded and triggered a chain reaction with more bombs.

Dino, who was dragging Nike around the corner, almost stumbled backwards if she wouldn't have pushed him up the stairs.

"Don't go clumsy on me now!" she hissed and almost lost her balance herself. Not a second later, half of the stairs under them exploded.

Both of them jumped, and it almost seemed like Dino would manage to land on his feet, but he -of course- tripped.

"You know I say you're subordinates are stalkers, but that's better than the klutz-show here," Nike smirked down at him and helped him stand up rather roughly, pulling on his jacket.

"You-!" he said startled-embarrassed, but Nike simply ignored him.

After that they noticed that nothing followed them anymore and Dino pulled out the piece of paper Reborn had given him, trying to find the way.

"Hey it's should be the next door," Dino said and pointed at another black door with a red 'X'- mark on it.

"Figures." Nike raised an eyebrow.

They opened the door and a moldy smell shot in their noses together with something that smelled like it had died, came back to life and died again.

"Whoa, I prefer the bombs," Nike remarked somehow having something sarcastically amused in her voice, though she almost retched while covering her nose with the back of her left hand.

When they looked around the room, they found a rusty looking old hutch and opened it, knowing that the thing Reborn wanted to show them was inside.

Dino breathed in and opened the hutch that creaked when he did.

Both expected that something would jump at them and probably bite open their throats, but much to their surprise, nothing could be found besides some spider webs and a piece of paper.

Nailing a pen through his head? That was still way too nice for Reborn.

"This little bastard _'baby'_ must be interested in going to hell," Nike hissed under her breath after looking at the paper. Dino looked at her with measuring look than it was his turn to snatch the paper, looking at it as well.

On the piece of paper could be seen a doodle that was supposed to look like Reborn… who was sticking his tongue out.

"Seems like I still have the thing I wanted to show you... with me," Dino read aloud, starting confused and finishing his sentence lamely.

They stared at the paper for a few moments before Dino slammed the hutch shut again.

"I don't believe it! Reborn and his stupid pranks!" he facepalmed.

Nike walked out of the room, crossing her arms behind her head.

"I bet he's _really_ happy somewhere right now," Dino sighed angrily and walked next to Nike.

Before they could walk any further, they suddenly heard a weird ticking noise again.

Right after that the wall behind them suddenly busted open and splinters of wood flew around everywhere.

Nike hid her face behind her arm, but much to her surprise nothing hit her. When she opened her eyes she noticed that Dino shielded her by holding out his own arm in front of her.

"What are you-!" Nike wanted to ask defiantly, but Dino just shook his head once and answered with a serious tone before she could even finish her sentence:

"You may be a soldier, but you're still a girl."

If Nike wouldn't have known that she had heard right, she would have thought that her ears were going bad, even almost getting an error message from her brain.

"_Because I'm a _girl_?" _Nike thought in complete incredulity. _"Did someone whack his brain!"_

Shortly after the dust cloud that the busted open wall created had calmed down, they walked outside. The fresh air was welcomed compared to the dusty, moldy scent the house carried.

After a few moments Reborn jumped in their way soon after, wearing a orange construction worker costume.

"Ciaossu!

Dino's and Nike's faces fell irritation.

"Oi, Reborn! What the hell was that?" Dino asked crossly, taking one step forward. Reborn remained calm and searched for something in his hat.

"I forgot to put these in the hutch I hid," he said, remaining completely calm and held up a couple of photos.

Now Dino's expression presented a panicked look. Sweating nervously, he asked:

"What do you want with-"

But before he could finish his sentence, Reborn smirked evilly and jumped forward, landing in front of Nike.

"Here, take a look!" he demanded and gave her the photos. Nike hiked her eyebrows up and eyed them, but took them anyway. Not a second later she snorted with a laugher and made an amused grimace.

"Don't laugh…" Dino sighed embarrassed and snatched the photos.

On the first one a younger, crying Dino who had tied himself up with his own whip could be seen.

"I-It's not what it looks like!" he stammered extremely embarrassed after noticing that Nike still grinned.

"So it's not that Reborn played a prank on you and that this is not a photo where you are making a fool out of yourself?" she asked teasingly, crossing her arms.

"Well… " he didn't know what to say, then said under his breath: "Oh, damn it."

Nike studies his awkward expression a bit longer, then turned to Reborn.

"I'll forgive you for today," she paused and pointed at him: "but you should honestly get yourself a hobby."

"Hohoho~ My hobby is to train my student," Reborn responded. Dino flinched.

"Oh, _really?" _He could have cried._  
><em>

"Heh~ Wanna see more?" Reborn asked, brought out more photos of his students and smirked.

"Hey, wait! Don't you dare-!" Dino wanted to take the photos, but failed. He tripped and fell -flat on his face- on the ground.

He just stayed put and didn't move, his whole body tensed up.

"_Just great! Now Nike will think I'm a complete retard… if that wasn't the case before already.." _he thought and wanted to disappear.

Nike, who had been standing next to him crouched down and rested her head in her hands. Dino glanced at her and saw that her whole body quaked.

Dino thought for a second she shook out of anger, but then noticed that she had started laughing.

Dino just gawked at her and was perplex.

"You're a retard!" she said, still laughing, but calmed down soon after again.

Dino, being called a retard, felt depressed all of a sudden, but smiled at her, though still a little awkward.

However, after he had dared to look at her face again, his fell completely fell in shock.

Nike smiled at him.

It wasn't a grin, it was a smile, and a really warm one on top of that. Her delicate futures seemed so gently, that it was almost scary. He felt his heart pounding against his ribs and felt his cheeks burn.

_"S-Surprise attack!"_ he thought. Nike meanwhile noticed his red face and somehow nervous expression, hiked her eyebrows up and her smile turned into a teasing grin.

"Hah, you're a retard, Bucking Horse, but I guess I could give you a few extra points since you're an adorable one."

Then she stood up again and wanted to walk over to the car, leaving a pretty much speechless Dino with an even redder face than before behind.

He stood up himself, fidgeting around like an embarrassed child, until he managed to ask:

"Could you not call me that anymore?"

Nike turned to him. "Call you what?"

"Bucking Horse."

"I thought that's your nickname?" She crooked her head to the side.

"Yeah but.. I have a name…" he rubbed his neck awkwardly, honestly wondering why the hell he suddenly got so shy around a girl.

"Okay, so it's Dino then."

He felt his heart jump after being called by his name by her. It made him strangely happy. And while Nike seemed completely calm, it made her weirdly nervous saying his name like that. It was suddenly if they were a lot closer. But not like Dino, she had yet to figure out if that was a good or a bad thing.

Now she turned on her heels and walked over to his car like planned, while Reborn jumped on Dino's shoulder.

"Hoho~ don't tell me you fell for her~?" Reborn asked, smirking again.

"What are you saying!" Dino asked startled, really wanting to change the topic and flushed again. Then he looked after Nike in silence, who was about jump in Dino's Ferrari.

"_How.. could that be?" _he thought and slumped his shoulders, ruffling through his hair shortly before walking after her.

Meanwhile, Nike, who was already sitting in the car suddenly felt a shiver running down her spine and shot around, looking out of the back window, the ominous feeling however, disappeared a second later.

"_I thought that someone was there… oh well whatever," _she thought and let it go.

However, besides that, the 16 year-old still had a weird lingering feeling in her stomach. She wondered when she had smiled, or laughed the last time. It must had been years ago. Ever since Nike had lost something that couldn't be gained back. But why did she smile now?

She glanced out of the window while putting her hands on her headphones.

Dino was saying something to Reborn and still seemed really embarrassed. The corner of her mouth lifted up lightly, but as soon as she noticed it, she forced her eyes the other way, letting her hinted smile faint. Then Nike pulled the big headphones that were hanging around her neck up over her ears, hoping to get rid of the sounds the faint memories that began to float into her head caused, and also caused her heart to ache.

Meanwhile Dino was about to walk to the car as well, but stopped when Reborn said:

"So Nike isn't afraid of places like this one. Well, I could have guessed."

"Why do I really hate it when you say that?" Dino asked, since something in Reborn's voice made his words seem evil.

"I just meant to say that it's time to figure out Nike's weakness."

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D Why this chapter is called the way it is? Cuz I'm a freak I guess? XD No, I just came across the "What's new Scooby Doo" opening after years and thought it kinda fit. Dunno why XD<p>

Anyway, _please_~ give my review button a hug, leave improvement suggestions or any wishes :3

I'll also try to update as soon as possible. Then, until next time! *waves* Bye-bye :3


	5. Haunted by Nightmares

Hey there, everyone! Glad you're decided to read the next chapter! Thanks again for reviewing and all the 'fave story', 'fave author', story alerts' etc.! Makes me really happy whenever I get to see someone reads my story XD

Anyway, you'll notice that the change from comedy to something more… dramatic (?) in this chapter. I didn't plan to change things yet, but I also said I'll go with the flow so yeah… things will get more serious as I reveal more about Genesis and Nike. Hope you'll stick with me until then ;)

Enough of my blabbering now! Please enjoy this chapter! I apologize or mistakes and confusions.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KHR,(damn how I whish I would at least meet Dino…) but I only own my OC and Genesis^^

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light <strong>

~~~Haunted by Nightmares~~~

Nike opened her eyes abruptly, her thorax going up and down like she had run a marathon. She sweated, her tank top and boxers stuck to her like they were glued on.

Slowly sliding her hands over her face, Nike tried to get rid of the sweat that covered her forehead. After she had managed to turn her head to the hated digital clock that stood on her bedside cabinet, the red little four glared at her like a demon.

She huffed irritated, kicked her blanket off and sat up, swung her legs over the edge off the bed and put her face into her palms, resting her elbows on her knees.

"_Damn nightmares…" _she thought and tried to calm down. _"Why can't I just get rid of them? I don't want to remember this anymore…"_

While her glazed eyes showed no trace of any emotion, her head was in uproar, pounding from all things she had to think about again, her mind creating an image of violence and bloodshed.

Nike felt herself overrun by hatred for herself and jerked up. Dressing herself, she pulled her headphones over her ears, her hoodie over her head and jumped out of the window.

With no destination in mind, Nike just jumped over the high fence that surrounded the mansion and decided to go running for a while, as if the 16-year old was desperately trying to drive her thoughts out of her head.

~~~A few hours later~~~

Dino's eyes crept open and dallied to his alarm clock that was ringing in his ears. Blinded from the sunlight that was shining through his windows, he squinted his eyes and fumbled for the stop button.

After he had finally found it, he groaned lightly, sat up and rubbed his neck that had become quite stiff after sleeping on his stomach. While he did so, he somehow looked awfully tired.

Suddenly his door bursted open and Reborn greeted him.

"Ciaossu, Pipsqueak Dino! You look tired~"

"Don't call me like that!" Dino said irked and stood up. "Seriously, coming to tease me even in the morning. It's only 8 am."

"That's not why I'm here, actually." Reborn's face darkened and looked serious. "You have a visitor."

Dino turned his head to him after putting on a casual white jacket over a black hoodie pullover. "A visitor?"

Before he could ask anything else, a cold shiver ran down his spine. He shot around and looked out of his window.

He almost stumbled backwards after seeing someone sitting inside the tree that stood in front of his window, bearing a smug- and somehow satisfied smile that crept the young mafia boss out.

"Why-! Where-! Reborn!" Was everything Dino brought out.

Reborn jumped and opened the window, letting in the middle-aged woman.

"Ciaossu, Rika. You're too early," Reborn said and the red-haired woman smirked at him.

"Hello, Reborn. True, but…" she looked over to Dino, again with her smug-satisfied smile.. "..but I got to see some amazing abs~ And I'm also pretty amazed that you were able to sense me~"

Dino didn't know if he wanted to die of embarrassment or simple because he felt disgusted. Sure, Rika was somehow pretty, but first, she was to old for him, second, the vibe she gave off would have made any child cry, third she saw him half naked and fourth.. she was Nike's teacher.

When Dino looked at her, finally managing to do so without putting on an uncomfortable expression, his eyes widened in shock, and Reborn too, looked very serious. Rika's body was wrapped inside bandages, and a huge scar that looked like it had only closed days ago crossed over her right eye. It looked like something made of iron had struck her, ripping of some of the flesh that protected her cheek and her forehead.

"What happened to you? Looks like you were _pestered_ quite a bit," Reborn said, something way too serious in his voice and Dino didn't like it one bit. It wasn't the 'we're doing a trial' kind of serious, but the 'something really bad must have happened' serious, that Reborn had only shown Dino a few times.

"_What an earth..?" _Dino thought, confused with an ominous feeling.

"Nothing much, it's just…" she laughed, before her face turned dark. "Unfortunately, the misgivings concerning _her_ declared themselves to be true."

"So _they_ managed to do that to you? Well, of course, those are the only ones I could imagine wounding you like that," Reborn responded, not seeming happy about what Rika had to say. Dino meanwhile just looked back and forth between them, not understanding anything they were talking about. It angered him quite a bit as well.

Reborn seemed to notice what Dino was thinking and suddenly interrupted Rika.

"Maybe we should continue this later. Do you want to see Nike now?"

Rika glanced over to Dino and seemed to know why Reborn had said that.

"Yeah, but I guess this idiot is still sleeping. Tell me where she is and I'll kick her out." Now she rubbed her hands together as if she was planning something evil. "It has been to long since I could kick her out of her bed~"After that, Dino sighed but tried to stay friendly, as he asked:

"I though you wanted to pick Nike up next month?" Then he realized what he had voiced out. Dino had completely forgotten that Nike was only supposed to stay for three month. He fidgeted, suddenly being run over by a very uncomfortable feeling.

"Yeah, but I've got some urgent business and have to take her along on my next mission," Rika answered.

"I see…" Dino responded half-heartedly, putting on an rather solemn face while he had the feeling his torso was being constricted.

"Well, I guess we should go and wake Nike," Reborn said an jumped on Dino's shoulder, probably seeing through him like always.

"Ah yeah, I guess," Dino said and led the way to Nike's room. Just a few seconds later, since her room was just on the other end of the corridor, Dino knocked on her door.

"Nike? Are you awake? I'm sorry to bother you, but you have a visitor," Dino called through the door. After no answer came, Rika kicked against the door.

"Oi you brat! If you pretend to be asleep, I'm seriously gonna kick your ass!" But no answer came. Rika's expression became serious and she kicked the door open.

The room was empty, the only movement being the curtains that were blown into the room by a soft breeze.

"Wah-! She escaped?" Dino said startled.

"No, she's out for a few hours already," Rika said and squinted her eyes. Reborn glanced at her and noticed something in her expression that bothered him.

"You're worried?" he asked slyly.

"No, this brat's never sleeps a night through. She's probably just lazing around somewhere," Rika answered him as simply as possible, but it seemed even obvious for Dino that it was something else.

"Anyway, I can't wait for her to return. I'll go search for her," Rika added and prepared to jump out of the already opened window.

"Wait a second," Reborn stopped her. "We'll go as well."

Dino looked at Reborn. He wondered why that had sounded more like a threat than anything else.

Rika's expression meanwhile seemed very solemn and dark for a moment. She seemed like something she knew was about to get revealed, something that should stay hidden. But when she noticed that Reborn and Dino both started to wonder, obviously noticing her reaction, she calmed down and pretended nothing had happened, bearing a smirk again. Rika then turned around again, and said before jumping out of the window:

"Sure, why not?"

~~~Later~~~

Only half an hour later, Rika told them to be quiet and pointed at something.

Nike was taking a break, trying to catch her breath. Dino didn't need to see her expression to know that she seemed bothered by something, and it was the first time he saw her like that.

"Wait a sec. I'll surprise her," Rika said somehow evilly and rushed forward, silently as a cat.

"What is she doing?" Dino wondered, actually not wanting to know the answer.

Meanwhile Nike finally stopped, being out of breath after 4 hours of running.

Jumping on a tree branch, she leaned back and wanted to take a break.

No matter what she tried, her chaotic mind wouldn't calm down. However, she was distracted by something and suddenly someone she didn't expect appeared, crouching in front of her, bearing her smug smile.

"Boo!"

"Whow!" was the only thing that escaped Nike's mouth startled. She felt awfully sick after seeing Rika's face. Her own turned blue and she jumped off the tree with a disgusted and kinda panicked expression, wanting to get away from her master no matter what.

"Wait! I should give you a hug since I missed you so much~" Rika called mockingly.

"Over my dead body!" Nike snapped back irritated, but couldn't get away, noticing that she was running at one spot since Rika held her down on her collar.

"No way! Let go of me!"

"No way. This is way too funny~" Rika responded, still grinning kinda diabolic. "And you never manage to run away anyway."

"No reason not to try it, stupid old-"

*SMACK*

"What were you about to say?" Rika asked her while Nike's head stung more than before.

"Stupid old hag!" Nike hissed, not giving up her struggle to run away.

"You little-" Rika growled and head-locked her. Nike's face turned even more blue than before.

"Don't touch me, damn perverted-!"

"Seems like you two get along well," suddenly someone said, interrupting Nike's angry hisses. Both females looked down and found Reborn who looked up with a smirk. Dino stood behind him and looked a bit dumb-founded.

"_So Nike's scared of Rika? Well… can't really blame her for that.." _he thought awed as he looked at the two squabblers.

Then suddenly, Rika let go of Nike and hit her in the back of her head, causing her to stumble forward, almost running into Dino.

"What the hell..!" Nike rubbed her head and shot around, the pounding overwritten by confusion and anger. "What the heck are you doing here anyway, old hag?"

*WHACK*

"You friggn' brat! Shut it! Seriously I should kick you off a cliff!" Rika yelled at her, Nike only seeing images of a raging elephant.

"You already did that once, right?" Nike responded huffing and stood up. "But why are you here?"

"I'm here to pick you up," Rika responded and lit a cigarette, only earning blank stares from Nike. She probably didn't realise it herself then, but she disliked something about Rika's words.

"Disappointed?" Rika gave her a weird smirk, Dino suddenly listening even closer than before.

"No." Nike answered slightly annoyed, but didn't look at her because of a reason she herself didn't understand. Dino just slumped his shoulders. That was the answer he had expected but he still felt kinda disappointed.

Anyway, before Rika could say anything, Nike let out a cynical half-laugh and added: "Heh. I'm more worried that I'll have to see your stupid face every day again."

"You damn little…" Rika wanted to shout, desperately holding back, but the demonic aura that surrounded her made Nike's eyelid twitch nervously at least once, while Rika let it go and eyed her student doubtfully. Something bothered her, and Nike hated it when her tutor eyed her like she was monitoring her. Nike tried to avoid her stares as much as possible, but without even giving a thought about why Rika was wary now, she glanced at her carefully now. Her wounds gave Nike a shock for a moment, but the only reaction her expression showed was a shortly flinching eyebrow since she had seen such wounds often enough.

That Rika, however, got injured to such an extend presented itself as a riddle for Nike, until she noticed the kind of wounds Rika had received. Her face, though calm, darkened.

"Was your mission to go after _them?"_

"What? You're worried?" Rika asked with a sarcastic laugh, but she too got a dark face when she saw Nike's expression that didn't waver. It was the expression a Genesis member had. Cold, emotionless, still, yet dark and almost too business-like.

Reborn didn't say anything, and Dino too seemed stiff all of a sudden. The topic between the tow seemed to be awfully serious, and tension was in the air. Reborn knew what they were talking about, and Dino had an idea that didn't sound very appealing.

"No, but I encountered them, unfortunately," she responded before a sarcastic, but bitter grin appeared on her lips. "These self-proclaimed so called 'mafia-law-keepers' are getting on my nerves. Every time I'm trying to accomplish my missions, they try to get in the way."

Nike scoffed. "Vindice, huh? They really are annoying. But I guess it can't be helped, since Genesis and Vindice are arch-enemies."

"One reason Genesis was built is to eliminate the Vindice, after all," Rika actually agreed almost too calmly and leaned against a tree, pulling on her cigarette.

"_So even one of Genesis' top 7 has trouble fighting against Vindice.." _Dino mused.

"Chaos, the rebel leader… founder of Genesis, Vongola Primo's ally… hated by Vindice…" Nike muttered, absentmindedly rubbing lightly over her chin with the back of her hand. "Anything else?"

"It doesn't matter right now. What matters is that we accomplish our mission we got from Hades," Rika interrupted her.

"Mission you say again," Nike wanted to facepalm. "That's everything you say. What kind of mission?"

"Well, while I was doing some research and was interrupted by Vindice-" Rika tried to tell her, but Nike's face already fell in annoyance and disgust after hearing the word 'research'. She couldn't describe how she hated laboratories, and that word made her remember. Some very painful experiences hung onto these two words, and Nike wanted to skip that part of Rika's story. She couldn't care less what _kind_ of research Rika did. She never wanted to know, not once since her childhood, even though Rika had always been a top class soldier and researcher.

If she knew what purpose Rika's research had, however, Nike wouldn't have stayed as calm as she was…

Then Rika, who noticed her behaviour, stopped shortly.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don't look at me like that," Rika waved one of her hands. "Anyway, but I was interrupted. Hades wants us in France. Some conflicts between Genesis members and .. someone else. We're supposed to head there and stop it," Rika finished her explanation.

"Hmm, is that so?" Nike asked, more to herself than to Rika, not even wanting an answer. But now Rika was really wary about he actions. She had expected Nike to make a remark, try to get away or any reaction.

She put out her cigarette and pushed herself up. Not even a second passed until she stood exactly in front of Nike, bending down so that she could face her directly. Nike withstood her cold but wary glare, simply looking back with a dark turning, serious expression.

"You had those nightmares again, didn't you?"

"_Nightmares?" _Dino thought confused, and shot Reborn a glance, who was still quiet.

Nike's eyes shot open, though still remaining calm, or at least trying to, she turned to Rika defiantly with a smirk.

"Well, what do you understand by 'nightmares'? Seeing you naked?"

Rika tried hard not to smack her head off Nike's shoulders.

"Anyway, it's none of your business."

"Not exactly. It is my business if one of my subordinates disobeys Genesis' _rules_," Rika shot back at her.

Nike flinched, seeming to know what Rika was referring to. Rika just lit another cigarette.

"Fine then. Time for a trainings session. If you want to disobey the rules, you'll have to be able to at least beat me. Show me what you've got. "

Nike turned her head away with a somehow dark and cocky smirk, placing her hands in her trouser pockets.

"Tch! You sure, old hag? Older people break their bones easier."

"Hey, calm down! There must be a different way to-" Dino wanted to interrupt them, but Reborn shook his head, telling him no keep quiet.

"Fool," Rika gave back at her, ignoring the other two completely. Then she spoke up again, looking at Nike from the corners of her eye while pulling on her cigarette, observing her upcoming reaction. "That's exactly the reason why you'll never forget."

Nike scoffed. Rika's last words caused her to lose her concentration, a picture she wanted to erase blazing up in front of her inner eye. She shot around to look at her, looking at her with such a cold glare that Dino was really surprised and shocked for a moment. However, Rika simply smirked, and Reborn remained silent, both knowing what her reaction would be. Nike meanwhile had snapped, being about to go berserk.

"Never…" she began almost not audible, yet with a voice that was shaking with anger. But then she raised her voice and shouted: "Never speak of this matter in front of me ever again!"

And then, not a second later, Rika appeared next to her and grabbed her throat, pushed her back like she was a feather, which caused her student to lose balance. When Nike landed on her back, Rika began to press her neck hard into the ground.

Nike wanted to break free, struggling against her grip, but Rika was way too strong for her. Physically, Nike never stood a chance against her. Actually, Nike was physically so weak, that it was even hard for her to carry something heavy. Then she met Rika's glaze. Her mentor was looking at her coldly, sternly, and also a bit violent. She stopped moving and noticed how she had trouble breathing, causing her to cough.

"Listen you arrogant moron. I don't care about your issues and will _never_ do. Go and die if you want to, because that will happen if you rush into a fight without thinking. Just remember this: People die, and people like us don't care about it," Rika hissed at her with a chill in her voice, her eyes still glittering threatening. "Or have you forgotten Genesis top rule? Have you? Tell me!"

Nike clenched her eyes shut. She began to feel dizzy, her vision slowly blacken out, but not because of Rika's tightening grip. Her heartbeat continuing heavy and in slow motion.

"I… remember," Nike said, forcing her words out of her mouth, feeling nothing but emptiness when remembering the lines that were engraved into her brain since she was small.

"Then remember your purpose. Only focus on the orders given to you, because this is the only reason of your existence. _Nothing else_." Rika told her hauntingly, then thought:

"_How very interesting. She's still having such a vitriolic expression after I already beat her."_

"I get it!" Nike hissed defiantly, not wanting to hear anything else anymore.

"Good," Rika said and grinned, the chill on her voice disappearing as well as the grip on Nike's throat.

Then Rika released Nike, who tried hard to surpass the urge to cough, her throat still feeling tight and dry.

Dino didn't care that Reborn wanted him to keep out of their argument, the worry overwriting his rationality.

"Nike, are you okay?" he called hurrying over to Nike, while Reborn walked next to Rika with a shadowed face.

Meanwhile Nike sat up, rubbed over her throat and felt incredibly angry, frustrated and busted. Angry and frustrated because she knew Rika was right with her not deleting her emotions, and for letting her raise a topic Nike wanted to avoid no matter what, and busted because Rika knew _why_ she didn't. It felt like someone had stripped her off her skin, bones and muscles, only leaving her empty soul remain, that would vanish as soon as someone tried to look at it.

"Seriously, you don't have to take it that far!" Dino said worked up to Rika, leaning down to Nike to check if she was all right.

"Can you stand?" he asked with a worried tone and held his hand out to help her up. Nike, without looking at him, smacked his hand away and stood up on her own, dusting herself down after doing so. Dino pulled his hand back and felt hurt by her actions, though he knew how her reaction would look like.

"_So stubborn…" _he thought with an uncomfortable and dejected face. Nike's expression softened for a second after seeing Dino's. She didn't want to take her anger out on him at all.

"I'm fine," she then responded mumbling.

Not making any eye contact with any of them, Rika's voice still echoed inside Nike's head, mixed with things she desperately wanted to shove aside, as Dino just looked at her, trying to figure out what the 16-year old girl was thinking about.

What Rika had said, worried him, confused him, and made him curious all at once. But he didn't dare to ask anything. On top of that Nike's reaction was so unlike her that Dino had thought she was a different person.

"Nike, pack your stuff. We're heading off to our mission soon," Rika broke the short silence and Nike just lowered her head.

"Whatever," she mumbled, turning on her heels and walked off. Nike just wanted to get away from Rika.

Dino looked after her and didn't know what to do. He knew that she didn't want to be bothered, but he was worried, and Reborn, too, seemed to be bothered by something, looking like he had to say something to Rika.

"Dino, why don't you go after Nike. I have something to discuss with Rika," Reborn said almost too calmly.

Dino looked serious. "Yeah, see you later." He nodded at them and hurried after Nike. Reborn looked up at Rika after Dino disappeared.

"Rika, I have to ask you some things," he told her. Rika looked down and shrugged.

"I get it. Let's go somewhere else."

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Nike tried to force the entrance door to Dino's mansion open, but couldn't. It was way to heavy. Good for her that one of his subordinates opened the door. She hurried in the kitchen, opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. She tried to open it, but failed miserably. No matter how much strength she used, the lid wouldn't even budge. Nike almost got the feeling that it was making fun of her. She reached back and wanted to throw the bottle at the wall, but before she could do so, someone took the bottle away.

"Need some help?"

Nike flipped her head around and found Dino, who stood behind her with a crooked smile and the snatched her water bottle.

"I don't believe it." Nike let out a heavy sigh. "It's really not my day if even you manage to look into my business."

"Your business?" Dino repeated with a sigh, then smiled. He opened the lid with ease and gave Nike the opened bottle back. "You know, everyone has a bad day sometimes. Don't worry about it."

Nike raised an eyebrow and sipped on the water. "Bad day? First Rika appears and now you notice how weak I am."

"Weak? Well, Rika is really strong, I suppose. And I don't think that you're weak at all. Just remember how calm you can be in situations that became all messy thanks to Reborn. I have to go through them all the time and still can't get used to it," he said, trying to encourage her. Now Nike had an expression of a pouting child, and he could barely restrain himself from laughing at her. She looked _really_ cute when she puffed her cheeks out, probably not realizing herself that she did.

Meanwhile Nike really was kind of sulky. Not like she had ever cared what people thought about her, but somehow she didn't want him to see her like this. If he knew how weak she physically actually was, would he start looking down on her like all the other people she knew? And damn, her physical strength was almost as worse than that of a normal girl. Technique, skill and speed were the things she had to make up for it though. But in Genesis, the overall strength was all that mattered, and Nike never knew it any better.

"Anyway, I-" Nike started, but Dino looked at her with a warm smile, stopping her from saying anything further since he knew that she didn't want to say anything.

"I don't know what's bothering you, and I don't know it'll help, but you can talk to me if you want to. I'll listen to you. "

Nike just looked at him, and somehow, what he said depressed her, made her feel helpless. She wanted to believe that he said, but somehow… she couldn't bring herself to trust his words, to trust him. She lowered her head, not wanting to look at him and walked past him, just stopping in the door before hurrying up the stairs to her room.

"You know, I appreciate it, the whole act your putting on, but people like you will never understand anything concerning me or the world I live in. So don't bother."

Dino was perplex. He wanted to go after her, but somehow the courage had left him, and also abandoned his will to move his legs.

Her words really hurt.

* * *

><p>Jo, hope you enjoyed this chapter.<p>

Why Vindice came up… hmm I planned to include them since I was planning this story (thus about half a year XD) but the new arc really is convenient for me and this story (muhahaha I won't tell you why xD)

Anyway… Wahhh I feel horribly for being so mean to Dino, but I have my reasons. Why Nike acts the way she does? Find out about it next time!

I'll update as soon as possible, but I have testing this week. Actually, tomorrow is one of my exams and I should be sleeping already XD However, since I have most of the next week off, I'll try to update this weekend, or starting next week.

But before I get pelted with rocks, I'll stop annoying you here.

Please, please give my review button a hug :D (cuz I will be very happy if you do, and if I'm happy, I'll probably update faster XD) Okay, see you next time! *waves* Bye bye^^


	6. Imprisoned By Fate

Hey ho, what's up everyone? I updated later than I thought.. Hope I manage to write more after May is over, since I won't have anything to do for school anymore XD Anyway, seems like my chapters always turn out waaaay to long, hope you don't mind that. So, please enjoy this chapter. I apologize for confusions and mistakes.

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR, just own all my OCs and everything concerning them 8D**

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light <strong>

~~~Imprisoned By Fate~~~

They walked silently beside each other. Nike had been quiet since Rika and she had left, causing the red-head to stare at her, waiting for a reaction, but nothing happened. She creased her face into a disbelieving frown, still wondering that Nike had been so tersely, yet obedient after she had told her they'd leave.

"_Let's just go," _was everything Rika got to hear.

"All right, it's beginning to scare me. You're never talking with me out of your own will, but I miss the mean-assed comments you're always making," Rika said, not changing her expression.

Nike looked at Rika from the corner of her eyes. "Mean-assed comment? Like: 'You're looking surprisingly fat in that coat, but not as fat as naked'?"

Rika sighed, but a vein started to pulsate on her head. "Yeah, something like that. But I forgot to add…" she paused, then shouted, grabbing Nike by her collar and pressing her forehead against her student's: "Do you have a death wish?"

"I don't really care, but getting killed by you would make me look ridiculously pathetic." Nike shrugged mockingly.

A dark aura began to surround Rika, and Nike was about to think that hitting a self-destruct button was a better idea than having said that.

"Okay, okay, I got it, I'll be quiet," Nike said, raising her hands in surrender. Rika leaned back again and let out another sigh. "Arrange yourself with whatever is on your mind. I need you to concentrate."

"I _am_ concentrated," Nike responded, then added mumbling: "And it's not like you'll even raise a finger. I will do the dirty work again."

"Of course you will. I'll just break my nails if I finish the job."

"Whatever," Nike responded indifferently and spaced out. Rika started staring at her again.

"Could it be that you're sad that you had to leave Italy?" Nike shot her head around and looked at Rika with big eyes. When she saw Rika's serious expression, her surprised facial futures turned indifferent again.

"No. You forced me to stay there, remember? You left me there with an Arcobaleno that has almost weirder ideas of training than you, and a clumsy-retard mafia boss," Nike snorted annoyed, but fell silent again. Voicing that out remembered her how bad she felt about the thinks she had said to Dino.

"_I'm so horrible. I took my anger out on him… I'm sure he hates me now," _she thought frustrated and angry at herself, but suddenly felt so confused at her own thought that she wanted to slap herself..

"_Wait a sec! Why do I feel so bad about it?"_

"I don't care anymore, just remember to do your job later," Rika said with a commanding tone and read through the report she had got, revealing information about their mission. Nike had heard her, but didn't react. She was still deep in thought, trying to shove aside that heavy feeling that burdened her lungs.

"_It's unnecessary to think about it now. I'll never return there…So why would I care whenever he hates me or not anyway? Just forget it…"_

Then suddenly, Rika stopped walking. Nike bumped into her.

"What are you doing?" Nike said slightly irritated, then looked past Rika. Her expression mirrored the shock she received for only a second.

Dead bodies, burned limbs separated from one another, a sticky red liquid covering the grass.

"_What the hell happened here?" _Nike thought, her expression, though calm, darkening. They had arrived at their destination.

Corpses of low-ranked Genesis soldiers and the enemy they were fighting staring with dead eyes at the cloudy sky.

Nike said noting, but eyed the ground after she noticed what she had stepped in.

The blood flooded the solidary scenery, that was vegetated with tall-standing trees. Some of the blood seemed to be about a day old, already turning dark and sticky, that now covered the soles of her short boots.

Nike grimaced in disgust and stared at her boots. "Nasty…"

"Seems like the fighting was already in progress," Rika commented, covering her face in cigarette smoke.

"Un, seems like it," Nike nodded shortly and looked around. How many people must have found death judging the amount of blood?

"So, we've arrived. What the hell is the mission about?" Nike asked Rika who smoked her cigarette without paying much attention to the horrifying picture that rose in front of their eyes. None of them had much of a reaction, not even after seeing a battlefield. But even though both seemed to remain unfazed, Nike felt like vomiting.

Suddenly, they heard noises, rustling from all sides. However, neither Rika nor Nike moved.

Not a second later, a breeze whipped across their faces, the fast movements of those that had surrounded them too fast for normal people to follow.

"And here I thought it was my mission," Rika grunted and looked at the dozen people that had shown up. Nike realized who they were after seeing their uniforms. When she saw who led the group, Nike's face fell with a heavy sigh. It was the second in command of Ares, Deimos.

The tall young man, which short, spiky, dirty-blond hair had serval individual bangs that fell into his face, was only a few years older than Nike and - to say it in her words - a jerkass.

She had something against him ever since he got promoted to be Ares' lieutenant two years ago, probably even before that.

"Hey, General Bia," he greeted with his arrogant mannerism. Then he saw Nike who crossed her arms and looked at him fairly annoyed.

"Seems like you brought the midget as well," he added, winking at scoffed. "And it seems like Genesis send the biggest butthead there is for this mission."

He glared at her but Rika interfered. "She's my second-in-command. Of course she's here. Anyway, I don't care that you two can't stand each other. If you wanna fight, do it after the mission but complete what you begin as well."

"You mean if I start a fight with him I can rip his empty head off his shoulders? Sounds good to me," Nike remarked with scorn and irritation hiding in her voice.

"Anyway, I want a report of the situation. Right now," Rika commanded Deimos.

"As you command," he bowed his head. He was talking with one of Genesis leaders after all. "They broke into the northern libratory,"

"Why?" Rika asked sternly.

"A woman tried to steal something that Hades wanted. Seems like she dragged more soldier into this mess," Deimos responded.

"What a bother," Rika grumbled, then looked down at Nike. No reaction. She seemed to try to cover her ears mentally, not wanting to hear anything else about a libratory. Rika didn't wait long and punched her in the back, hitting Nike's lower spine. Said girl almost collapsed as she felt the dominating pain, though Rika had only hit her very lightly.

"Nike, go with Deimos and watch the second squad interviewing that person," Rika told her, who still had trouble breathing.

"Sorry, I'm busy trying to breathe," Nike hissed, half jokingly, half pissed, but Rika ignored her, pulled her closer and whispered in her ear:

"Find out what exactly that person wanted in the libratory, or what she wanted to steal."

"…Gotcha," Nike said unwillingly, and Rika walked away.

"_I knew she wouldn't lift a finger…"_

"Seems like we work together this time," Deimos hit her on her shoulder. Nike's eyelid twitched annoyed, took his wrist and turned it around, a light 'crack' noise echoing through the air.

"Don't touch me, or you won't want see your ugly face in a mirror again."

He rubbed his fractured wrist with a dark grin. "You're still such a psychotic, silly bitch.""And you're still a dumbass. We have work to do."

"That's her," Deimos pointed at a brunette woman that was tied up with barbwire, her skin bruised and cut.

"We were about to execute her, so you can actually get lost and leave the rest to us now."

"Zip it. We don't want to hear trash coming out of your mouth." Nike said annoyed. "Not like I'm ever gonna hear something else besides trash coming from you."

However she knew that she wanted to get out of there before the execution. It couldn't be avoided. Then Nike's eyes fell on the woman's upper left arm.

"A Genesis soldier?"

"Correct. A Class C soldier, actually," Deimos interjected. Nike ignored him and walked towards her.

"I'm Nike, the second-in-command of the 7th squad. I want you to tell me what you did in the…" Nike simply refused to say the last word and scowled.

"Libratory," Deimos finished her sentence in amusement. Nike turned around.

"I told you to zip it. Anyway, answer the question."

The woman glared at her and said nothing.

"A stubborn one…" Deimos sighed and pulled out his gun. He walked next to Nike, stopping in front of the brunette and pointed his gun at her.

"Spit it out. This midget lieutenant asked you a question."

Nike had the urge to hit him, but kept quiet after the woman still refused to say anything. Deimos had enough pulled the trigger twice.

He had shot her in each of her thighs. She screamed in pain. Nike had to look away, feeling her stomach turning around.

"I… I was told to steal that box," the woman said with gritted teeth and noodled over to a small box with golden crests on it. Deimos held it up."Why?" Nike asked sternly, forcing herself to look at her.

"I… can't say…"

"_What is that box?" _Nike wondered. It was hard for her to actually concentrate on something. Her head hammering like someone had kicked against it. _"Concentrate… this here is your duty…"_

"I don't know," she answered, still in pain, the blood flowing out of her wounds.

"It's all right. I know what's inside. You brats hand that over to me." Rika had suddenly appeared again and took the box out of Deimos hand.

"Huh?"

"It was Nike's and my mission to get this box. Since we have it now, our mission here is over," Rika explained.

"I see… " Nike mumbled, but thought: _"Then why the heck was that mission so important? I wonder what's inside that box…"_"Anyway, get rid of that woman now. She broke Genesis rules and is worthless to carry the name of a Genesis soldier." Rika's voice was cold and commanding, while Nike stood up. For her, this mission was over. Her thoughts were somewhere else anyway, and it was difficult enough to bring them into order as well.

When Nike was about to turn around, them woman that should have been tied up jumped up. She must have managed to cut her ties somehow. She charged forward, pressing more blood out of her wounds and attacked the absent-minded Nike. Nike noticed too late that the woman wielded a knife. She could only manage to turn herself so that no inner organs would get hurt. So she turned, the woman slicing her arm. Nike lunged her arm out and hit the woman in her neck with the side of her hand. The brunette collapsed on the ground immediately.

Nike looked at her bleeding upper arm. The wound was deep. Deimos picked up the knife the woman had used and looked at it.

"This knife was forged by one of Genesis' most skilled craftsman. Well, whatever," Deimos now said, spun his gun around, pointed it at the unconscious woman and… pulled the trigger once again.

The sound of the shot ringed in Nike's ears, blood splattering on her clothes.

Nike stared down at the woman without an expression, blank eyes. Then she averted her eyes from the cold growing body and walked after Rika.

Nike realized that she had returned to her everyday life again.

But she also began to realize …

She didn't want to.

The blood on her clothes left stains behind. No matter how Nike tried to wash her shirt clean, the bloodstains wouldn't come off. The blood that stained her hands would never disappear either. This fact would never change. But when did she start to feel so empty when facing a battlefield lead by blood, gore and coldness?

Nike ruffled her hair, trying to distract herself from thoughts that would devour her.

When she looked up, the sun was already setting, colouring the sky in a deep red and it got chilly. It was almost the begin of June, yet nobody would have guessed that summer would be about to start.

Nike touched her left arm. The injury she had received seemed to be pretty deep, probably needed sewing, but she decided to ignore it.

She knew that she wasn't concentrated. It had been her fault that she got injured. Getting distracted on the battlefield? Didn't she learn from past mistakes that she should never be distracted by anything? Yet she had been. Nike couldn't think of anything else but how angry she was at herself for telling Dino things she shouldn't have. For the first time in years, she felt that she needed to apologize, even though she also knew that she probably wouldn't see him again.

"_Why am I regretting it so much? It isn't the first time that I'm telling someone to leave me alone. I'm always doing it. But…I whish I wouldn't have said it to him…"_

Nike was to deep in thought that she didn't even notice Rika, who suddenly stood behind her.

"Hey, what was up with that pathetic attempt to doge that Class-C soldier's attack? I know you're useless, but that was even weak for someone like you," Rika said with anger in her voice.

"Leave me alone. I know myself that that was really stupid," Nike responded, not even having the will to counter.

Rika studied her for a while, then said after a few minutes of silence, Nike still no facing her way:

"Are you feeling guilty because that woman was executed? Don't bother, it was her fault that she betrayed Genesis," Rika said coldly, but Nike showed no reaction.

Rika knew the best what her problem was. It wasn't just her feeling guilty over someone's death. No, that, she hid well like she always did. It was something else that clouded her mind.

"That's not it," Nike answered calmly, but the disgust she felt for herself after every mission was undeniable, this time however, it was something else.

"Forget it. Its obvious anyway. You miss the Bucking Horse. You started to feel attached to him." Rika stared coldly at her.

Nike finally looked at her with wide eyes, her heart feeling like it had stopped for a second.

She tried to struggle against it with everything she got, knowing that it was against her nature, and against Genesis rules. But no matter how hard she tried to deny it, something inside her began to change.

"You know ever since I'm part of Genesis, I thought humans are selfish fools. They don't care for one another, only care about themselves. I don't believe in any of them," she started, her voice drunken with bitterness, but then she paused, thinking about the past two months.

"But Dino is different. He cares about the people around him. He even cares for stranger and he cares about-"she didn't dare to continue. Rika raised an eyebrow before she finally said it, not really being able to believe herself what she was saying.

"And he even cares for someone like me.""Then he is just an ignorant fool," Rika snorted. "Listen, Nike. You know the rule, right? I don't really get why you started being bothered by someone death, or started to care for someone like the Bucking Horse, it is not allowed to show any sort of feelings for anyone. You know what happens to you if you start feeling sympathy for anyone, so I don't need to repeat it over and over again. You are aware of that ever since I picked you up." Rika's voice was calm, but incredibly cold. Nike listened to her. Every word dropping in her ears like bombs.

She knew the rule.

The rule that had top priority. The rule that would mean death for those that disobeyed it. The rule Nike would never be able to ignore. Then Nike repeated the words that were inscribed into her brain since she could remember, saying them like a robot, not emotion, no warmth in her voice, just a bit of bitterness:

"I know, you don't have to tell me. I'm just a tool. I know that since I'm a child."

Rika looked at her, her eyes resting on Nike like ice cubes.

"That's right. You're nothing but a tool. A tool that exists to serve Genesis. And a tool that cannot finish its job is trash. And Nike, I don't have any use for trash. Neither does Hades."

No matter how harsh those words may had sound, Nike was used to them. The cold meaning of Rika's words were not able to move her anymore.

But…

She still couldn't get Dino out of her head.

Nike knew that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything unless she had at least apologized to Dino. Maybe she would be able to delete him from her memory, like she always did after a battle.

She felt like her mind changed into a scale, trying to figure out what was more important.

Rika just continued to look at Nike, remembering what Reborn and she had talked about…

"_Say Rika, what did you do in your libratory?" Reborn asked Rika, both standing on the rooftop of Dino's mansion, moonlight creeping over the roofing tiles._

"_You know that I take my research very seriously," the red-head answered shrugging._

"_I know, but was your research about Nike?" Rika shot Reborn a short glare. She knew that there was no hiding it from him._

"_I can't let Hades know who Nike really is, neither Vindice, nor Nike herself. It will only complicate things for me and for her."_

_Reborn's face shadowed. Interpreting Rika's words was almost impossible. That woman had even too many different faces for him to see through. Telling if she was lying or telling the truth was difficult._

"_So Nike really is _her _descendant?" Reborn asked seriously. Rika was just quiet and looked incredibly cold._

"_Don't ask questions you already know the answer to. It's not polite.""It is hard to believe that Genesis managed to find her descendant after 5 generations. It is what Hades always wanted, and Vindice would be very interested in this as well," Reborn said sternly. Ignoring her dishonest comment.._

"_For now, it doesn't matter if Nike carries her blood or not. The only thing Nike needs to know is what her purpose is." Rika said._

"_Purpose…."_

"_It is her duty as a soldier to serve Genesis, and it is her fate to live and to die as a soldier."_

"_Isn't that a bit harsh?" Reborn asked. _

"_You talk about harsh? Aren't you the one who loves to torture your student the most?" Rika smirked._

"_So do you," Reborn retorted, smirking as well. But it faded again. It bothered him that he couldn't think of any intention Rika might had. When she had asked him if Nike could stay with Dino, what was she thinking? He had agreed to find out more about it, but he didn't. Was it because Rika was scared something might could happen to Nike? But Rika cared more about Genesis' rules. Or was she planning something else?_

_Then Rika interrupted his thoughts. She probably knew that he was being wary._

"_I can't tell her. At least not now. You know, ever since a few years ago, her attitude changed a lot. She was confident, no, almost arrogant, defiant, bold and even more lazy then she's now. Right now, she's just incredibly indifferent, lost all her courage. You know, in fact she's simply pathetic. Letting something get to her heart is unacceptable." Something mysterious glittered in Rika's eyes as she said so. Reborn shot her a glance again. That something in her eyes was what made him wary sometimes, but it always vanished fast again. She had proven herself as trustworthy often enough, the 9__th__ trusted her as well, so he let it go once again._

"_Anyway, I wanted to ask you something." Rika broke the silence._

_Reborn looked at her. "What?""Do you think Nike could-"_

"Nike?" Rika called out to Nike after snapping out of her thoughts. She turned around.

"What do you want now?"

"We'll go back. Get ready," she answered briefly. Nike surpassed her urge to gran. Go back to Genesis Headquarters was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew that there wasn't another choice.

"I understand. If you shut up, I'm going."*SMACK*

"You-! Seriously, shut your mouth, get up and come with me! Seriously, you're even more pathetic than usual!" Rika yelled.

"How many times did I hear that already?" Nike rolled her eyes and rubbed her stinging head.

"Not often enough. Get your lazy ass up now." Rika was getting really impatient. Nike made a face.

"Don't be so angry. You'll get even more wrinkles in your leather-skin."

"All right, that's enough," Rika yelled, stomped over to Nike, grabbed her by her collar and dragged Nike after her.

"We're going. We have an appointment with someone." Nike, who was letting herself getting dragged around rather bored turned her head with and raised an eyebrow.

"An appointment?"

~~~Hours later~~~

Dumbfounded. That was the only word that could describe Nike's facial expression as she stared at the well-known mansion in Italy.

"What the heck are we doing here?" Nike asked hissing, almost frantic, but trying to keep her voice down.

"What we're doing here?" Rika eyed her while smoking one of her cigarettes. "I've never said that I'd take you back to Headquarters' after the mission. Do you know how much I enjoy the piece and quiet when you aren't around?"

"And that means that…?" Nike looked at her, waiting for Rika to finish her sentence even though she somehow knew the answer.

"That means that you'll be living here, stupid. I already got permission from Reborn, so hurry up and go inside," Rika answered, her temper almost snapping.

Nike just wanted to disappear. It was her chance to apologize, but now that she could, she didn't know how to. The thing she felt was something she hated. She felt pretty helpless.

Rika had meanwhile enough. Nike seemed to space out while having turned completely pale.

"All right, if you're not going, I'm dragging you again!" Rika shouted, headlocked Nike, making her turn green instead of white and jumped along with Nike over the fence.

"Don't touch me! Let go, old hag! I don't wanna go in!" Nike hissed and struggled, but Rika was physically way too strong. She tightened her grip around Nike's neck and ignored her complaints.

"We're going!"

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Dino sighed while staring at the monitor of his Laptop. He had so much work to do, but his thoughts were somewhere else. The day he wanted to apologize to Nike for bothering her, she was already gone. Reborn had informed him that Rika and Nike wanted to leave early.

"Don't make a face like that, boss," Romario laughed and Dino grumbled in response.

"He's right. You're looking stupid," Reborn agreed while sitting in his mini-boss chair.

"Thanks for your concern," Dino said sarcastically and leaned back, looking somehow depressed and pouting.

"Come on, boss! No need to look that depressed," Romario tried to cheer him up.

"I'm not really depressed," Dino mumbled.

"If you feel that bad, then apologize," Reborn said calmly, actually indifferently and sipped on his espresso.

"I would if I could, but-" Dino was about to respond, but then suddenly, they heart someone shouting, sounding rather angry:

"Let me go!"

Dino raised his head and looked surprised, Romario too, seemed confused. Reborn however just drank his espresso.

"Don't tell me-" Dino started, looking at Reborn, but he didn't pay attention to him. Then suddenly, the door snapped open, in front of the room standing Rika who had thrown Nike over her shoulder.

"I have something to deliver. Be careful, it's noisy," Rika said with her cigarette in her mouth, turned around, causing Nike to bump her head at the doorframe.

"Ouch!" she complained, but was quiet once she noticed that she looked directly in Dino's face, who had stood up.

She started to sweat nervously, though still trying to keep a cool façade.

"Yo!" she raised her hand, blurting it out way to unnaturally.

"Yo…" Dino responded. Then the awkward silence started, both staring at the ground.

Rika lost her temper and threw Nike through the room.

"Woah!" Nike tried to land on her feet, but stumbled after looking at Dino's face and fell on her butt in front of him.

"Nike, I'll contact you when you have a mission! You don't bother me whatever may happen!" Rika commanded, then turned to Reborn.

"Reborn, thank you. I owe you one again. Then, I'm leaving! I have to deliver something!"

Not a second later, she disappeared through the door, leaving dumbstruck faces behind.

"What was that?" Dino asked, staring at the empty corridor.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Rika asked me if Nike could stay here and I agreed. She'll only leave for missions," Reborn said casually, not leaving his espresso out of his sight.

"_Without even… asking me…" _Dino thought and gaped at him with a grimace, but he wasn't all that unhappy, actually.

"So.. That means that you'll be living here, right?" Dino smiled at her. Nike looked at him, then started staring at the ground and fidgeted nervously. She looked Like a child with a bad conscience. The words she wanted to say just wouldn't come out of her mouth.

"_What the heck is up with me? C'mon, stupid! Say it!" _she thought and wanted slap herself, getting angrier and angrier at herself for not being able to apologize.

Dino looked at her and interpreted her actions wrong.

"_She's still angry with me, huh?" _he thought and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Nike?" he said softly. She looked up, almost not daring to.

"_He's angry…" _she thought.

"I'm sorry," he said dejectedly. Nike's eyes widened. Why did he apologize to her? He didn't do anything wrong. But she knew. He was just too much of a good guy, and yet she had doubted him. She felt simply awful.

"Why are you apologizing? I should be the one apologizing!" she almost shouted, sounded angry, desperate and somehow… a bit sad. When she noticed what she did, she calmed down immediately and turned around.

"Sorry, excuse me for a while." Then she left the room.

Dino just stood there, looking after her.

"She wasn't angry..""Seems like it was a misunderstanding," Reborn remarked.

"Seems like it," Dino agreed, then ruffled his hair in frustration. "I feel so stupid!"

"You are stupid," Reborn remarked again. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd use her brain even if it concerns her."

Meanwhile Romario just laughed. "Boss, I think you should go after her. Miss Nike is not angry after all. Maybe you can make up now."

"You're right." He nodded. "See you later!"

~~~A few minutes later~~~

"_Where could she be? She can't be that far away.." _Dino thought while running around, also tripping for the third time. It was already dark outside, which made his search even more difficult.

Then suddenly, he ran past a park, then stopped as he noticed that she was sitting on the backrest of a park bench.

Meanwhile Nike felt like hammering her head into a hard surface.

"_Why the hell do I react like a coward when it involves that retard?" _She almost never lost her cool, and now it was over something stupid.

Then suddenly, the heard a loud *thud* and looked up. It was Dino who had tripped over his own feet.

"_What's he doing?" _she thought nervously, but forced herself to stay where she was.

"Nike! There you are!" he called and walked over to her. But before he could come closer, Nike jumped up, held one of her hands up and said: "Stop right there!"

Dino froze, confused. He didn't know what to do, neither what she was about to do, but then she surprised him.

"I..-I'm really… I'm really sorry!"

"Huh..?""I'm sorry for the things I said to you. I… I didn't mean it like that. No well I did, but I didn't!" When she was done, she noticed how stupid that sounded.

"_And now I'm making a fool out of myself!" _she mentally facepalmed, and Dino wasn't less confused.

"Ehhh… I don't really.. Get that.." he said, feeling stupid as well. Nike tried to calm down, sat back down again, unnerved because of herself.

"That day.. I was just really angry at myself and said things I rather shouldn't have. You know, you…" Nike looked at him, and had a somehow insecure expression that made Dino feel troubled.

"You just really confuse me." Nike finished her sentence. Now Dino was confused.

"I confuse you?" he asked.

"Well, I'm never nervous, frantic or lose my head like that. But you.. I don't know why I'm acting like that when it concerns you. It's just.. It's just that maybe I do have a reason I said those things…," she said and played with her fingers.

Dino looked at her. So she was pretty much the same as him. He stepped forward and stopped in front of the bank again. She glanced up at him and moved over to the side, making him space to sit down. He sat down at the other end of the bench to let her have space, careful not to make her uncomfortable and rested his forearms on his legs.

"It's okay. I don't really know how to approach you either. We're the same, aren't we?" he smiled. Nike looked at him, then at the ground again.

"Yeah…"

"You know, when you said that I don't understand anything concerning you, you were right. But you know, that's because you are always on guard and don't reveal much about yourself," he said calmly, still bearing a slight smile, but that somehow seemed sad. He turned his head to look at her. "But you know, I really want to know more about you."Nike's eyes widened. Her chest tightened, feeling even worse for the things she had said, but yet his words made her incredibly happy, something that she didn't feel in ages. It also made her feel like she wanted to tell him why she was like she was.

"You know…" Nike suddenly started, looking at the ground again, mostly expressionless. "Humans are foolish. That's what I learned, and that it's what I see every day. If you grow up on a battlefield, the only things you see are selfishness, hatred… and emptiness. I'm used to it and if you take a look around, you'll notice that fools set the rules in this world as well. "

Dino listened to her with a serious face. Not knowing what to say, he just listened to her with open ears.

"The reason why I'm so cold to everyone should actually be simple. At least it _should _be_. _It's Genesis' rule," she continued, her voice calm.

"I remember… Rika mentioned something about that.." Dino muttered.

"…'Throw away your compassion. No mercy towards your enemies, or yourself. You are nothing but a tool.' That's our top rule. Don't get close to anyone. A Genesis soldier just lives to fulfil missions, to take away other people's lives, to die on the battlefield." Nike said calmly again, then let out a cynical half-laugh, not even finding the strength to joke about it. "Pretty sad, isn't it?"

Dino couldn't believe what he heard and looked shocked at her.

"Just what… is up with that?" It made Dino angry to hear that.

"I don't care anymore. I learned it since I'm a child. It's carved into my mind…" She rolled up her left sleeve, revealing her left arm. "And carved into my skin."

Dino's eyes widened. Nike had a scarification on her upper arm, burned and cut into her skin like a ring, Genesis' initials could be seen as well. Every soldier got it when they joined. A hurtful procedure.

"But actually, I found this rule stupid in the beginning. But…" Her half-hearted grin faded.

"But after a certain incident, I know why that rule is necessary," she continued, her voice hiding sadness.

"It's not necessary, it's stupid!" Dino protested, feeling like he wanted to punch the person who told Nike that, then wondered what kind of incident she could have meant. Then she started talking again.

"Humans are not only foolish, they are also weak. They die easily and leave behind those who care about them." Nike's voice shook with anger.

"I always did what I wanted, actually enjoyed the battlefield, was cocky, was foolish. And that's the reason why-!" Nike couldn't continue. The hatred for herself welling up inside her, but Dino just smiled at her.

"You don't have to force yourself to tell me."His smile somehow comforted her. It made her calm again and made her want to tell him what happened even more.

"I… I killed my friend."

Her words didn't shock Dino somehow. He just listened to her. He knew that she was feeling incredibly guilty.

"We were on a mission, two years ago. Both of us managed to be promoted to Class-B soldiers, and then we wanted to gain the title of an Class-A soldier. This mission was to prove our abilities, to prove that we were capable of becoming lieutenants. She, her name was Ari, was insecure, but I told her it was fine, that we could manage it together. Me and my big mouth. I overestimated myself and underestimated our enemy. I was hit and couldn't move. That guy tried to kill me and then… she took the blow for me. I don't know how, but I managed to stand up and killed that guy… in a very cruel way. Then I held her in my arms, but Ari died. It was my fault." Nike fought against the lump in her throat. She felt like she was suffocating. Dino looked at her and had the urge to hug her, but he knew he couldn't. Also, he had the feeling that she still had to say something. And she did.

"It's the reason I hate to be touched as well. You know, I've seen many bodies grow cold. I always shoved my uneasiness concerning that aside. A soldier can't have those feelings, and it's not like I never killed either. I fact I really did enjoy the battlefield at times. But… it hurts so much when a person you care for grows cold…. And that's the reason a soldier like me cannot afford to get close to someone. It makes you lose your capability to fight, just like me…."Nike's voice shook again, her last words almost not audible.

"When you get touched to someone, you feel that persons warmth and the closer you get to that person, the more you want to protect that warmth. Ari was the only person I ever cared for, and because of me, she died. Before, I never really cared about dying, or rather, I never thought about it. But when she died right in my arms, I wanted to be the one who died! I don't care if I die anymore! No, I really wish I would!"

Nike couldn't even cry. The sadness inside her did not let tears run down her face. Instead, it mad the emptiness she felt when she thought about her friend bigger.

Suddenly Dino moved a bit closer to her and leaned forward to look at her face and directly into her eyes. He understood now.

She somehow couldn't avert her eyes from his warm and honest ones.

"Nike, it was not your fault."His voice echoed in her ears, Nike wasn't able to respond, to move. His word.. Why did they make her feel better?

"You know, I think she wouldn't blame you either. She protected you because you were important to her as well, that's what I think," Dino continued gently, his voice calm, but confident. And then, without thinking, he touched her head, ruffling her hair gently.

She flinched, but didn't not slap his hand away, she just looked at him and listened, just like he did before.

"Nike, I won't go away, okay? So, if you run into any trouble, you can come to me. I'll be there to help you. So that's why… Nike, please don't talk about dying anymore, okay? Don't die, it would make me sad," Dino continued, his voice almost more caring than before, the affectionate, warm smile being enough to reach even Nike properly.

She felt that the tears wanted to well up, but she fought them away. She couldn't describe how heavy the weight was that dropped from her mind, making place for a warm feeling inside her heart. It started racing in unknown way as well. It didn't feel bad. In fact, it felt incredibly comforting, even though it made her nervous somehow.

_I… I believe him… I really believe in him. I want to trust Dino… I _will_ trust him…" _she thought. Dino still smiled at her with honest eyes, continuing to ruffle her hair gently, the warmth of his hand feeling unbelievably soothing.

She could never describe how happy she was hearing his words.

The words she had always wanted to hear.

* * *

><p>I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I felt like it was hard bringing Nike's feelings across. For me, this chapter was really important. I really want to make Nike as real as possible, but that's somehow harder than I thought *laughs*<p>

Anyway, the mission Nike went on will be important later on, and the conversation between Dino and Nike will affect Nike's personality, and behaviour a lot. I really hope that I'll make her able to open up more. She's too cold LOL

And though I want to avoid this "fluffy" stuff in all my stories, I feel like it could somehow fit between those two. So anyway, if you liked this chapter, or have any suggestions/wishes, then please give me some feedback! :3

I'd be very happy! :D Well, before I get hit by rocks, I'll shut up now. See you next time!


	7. Home?

Yo, everyone! Time to update again. Just a more random chapter, though I have my reasons for writing it. But it's pretty long for a random one… seriously I need to shorten my chapters… takes too long to edit. I wrote that a week ago and just couldn't find the time to edit… =.= Even less that Fnfiction lets me update.. I needed one damn hour to upload this chapter!

But whatever! Thanks everyone for reading and also for your kind reviews! So anyway, please enjoy this chapter, and I apologize for some mistakes.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHR, just my OCs

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light<strong>

~~~Home?~~~

Nike woke up.

"Damn that alarm clock…" she mumbled grumpily, until she realized that there was no ringing noise.

Sitting up, Nike ran her eyes through her room, noticing how comfortable that room actually was.

When she then looked out of the window, the sun began to creep up the sky, the leafs sparkling with morning dew.

"Still too early…" she thought and was tempted to lay down again. However, Nike decided against it, stood up, threw her clothes on and walked downstairs.

When she walked down the stairs, she saw Romario who was walking them up.

"Oh, good morning, Miss Nike. I just wanted to wake you," he said with a friendly smile. She blinked a few times, then started grinning lopsidedly.

"Nah, it's fine. I was awake anyway. Thanks though." Then she walked past him, leaving a rather puzzled Romario behind, but then he smiled again. Had she ever given an answer to that extend?

"This seems to get interesting."

~~~Downstairs~~~

"Morning," Nike said as she entered the dining room, where Dino and Reborn already sat at the table.

"Good morning," Dino responded with a smile and Nike sat down. "Did you sleep well?"

"Hmm.. Better than usual, I guess? Still hate waking up early, though," she said and stretched herself. Then Dino's eyes fell on Nike's right upper arm, since she wore a sleeveless top.

"What! Oi, Nike, what's that?" Dino asked panicked, jumped up from his chair and pointed at her bandaged upper arm, blood seeping through it.

"Huh?" Nike looked at him, then followed his finger. "Oh, that's just a scratch."

"That's no scratch! It's bleeding!" he protested with a nervous expression, still eying the blood.

Meanwhile Nike put her head in her hands, eying him fascinated and amused.

"What an interesting reaction," she said, blinking at him.

"Don't change the subject!" he responded. "Hey, Romario!"

"What is it, boss?" Romario asked, appearing in the door.

"Can you take a look at Nike's arm?"

"Wait a sec! It's fine!" Nike frowned and looked back and forth between Dino and Romario. "Reborn, you say something!" she jerked her head around, calling Reborn by his name for the first time. Reborn looked up.

"Okay," he agreed, looked at Dino and said: "Dino, it started bleeding even more."

"Wha-!" Dino looked at Nike. "Okay, please remove that bandage."

"No." That shot out of her mouth as dully as her expression was.

"Miss Nike…" Romario said and bend down to look at her arm.

"Will you leave me alone after you looked at it?" she asked after a short silence, eyeing them doubtingly.

"Yes." Dino nodded.

"Okay fine," Nike sighed and got up, following Dino and Romario to the sickroom.

After arriving Nike dropped on the sickbed and didn't seem very enthusiastic. She peeled off the bandage that was sticking to some of the already dried blood.

"It seems like it's already healing, but it needs treatment," Romario stated.

Nike meanwhile got impatient and simply pulled on the bandage. The wound bled again.

"Wah! Be careful!" Dino blurted out with a shocked expression. Nike, who had basically learned to ignore the pain of small wounds, found his reaction pretty amusing. She snorted, as if to make fun of him.

"Heh."

"Hey, it's not funny!"

"Really?" Nike responded, imitating the innocent look of a demon.

Dino sighed frustrated while Romario started laughing.

"Seems like Miss Nike took a liking in teasing you, boss!"

"Like I said, it's not funny," Dino said and slumped his shoulders. After that, Romario walked over to Nike. Since he knew that she didn't like to be touched, he just took a closer look at it.

"As I expected. If it doesn't get treated, I'm afraid that it'll get infected."

Nike shot up instantly, turning her back to a wall. Her expression slid down as if she'd seen a ghost.

"I'd rather have my arm falling off then getting sewed."

Dino looked at her with wide eyes. After seeing her reaction and her wary, nervous eyes, he realized that she must have had some bad experiences before.

"I wonder why she's so scared of needles," he thought concerned, then stepped in front of her and leaned down to be on the same eye level as Nike.

"He just wants to disinfect and bandage it properly. Don't worry, it won't hurt," he said, a warm smile appearing on his face. Nike looked at him and started to become utterly nervous out of unknown reasons.

"I… I'm not really afraid of needles… Just don't like this whole 'libratory, needle, whatever' thing," Nike responded kinda annoyed at herself after realizing her reaction.

"Libratory? This is just a sickroom!" Dino had to hold in a laugher.

"And I've never said anything about sewing to begin with," Romario interjected laughing. Nike looked like she had made a fool out of herself.

"And I think that's not funny," Nike grumbled.

"It won't take long," Romario said with a smile and turned around to search find the things he needed to treat her. Nike only sighed. It was nice of Romario, but she still didn't like the thought of being touched by someone. Then suddenly, Dino's voice called through the room.

"Romario, can you give me the first-aid-kid?"

Nike looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What now?"

"Huh? Sure but…" Romario started, but after seeing Nikes expression, he nodded and handed him the wanted first-aid-kid. "Sure, here you go, boss."

Dino took it and sat down beside Nike, who had meanwhile slumped down on the bed again.

"Is it okay if I treat you? I won't do it as good as Romario, but I'll try to do it properly," he told her, quite charmingly on top of that. Nike eyed him doubtfully, scratching her head while doing so. She obviously doubted his abilities to bandage someone without making him look like a mummy. Not long enough, though. As soon as she looked at his gentle expression, the corner of her mouth lifted up.

"Okay."

He nodded and repeated her words gently. "Okay."

"Then, I'll be downstairs," Romario now said, walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Oh damn it, now I'll really end up looking like a mummy…" Nike thought. But it wasn't enough to make her back down. Somehow, she didn't really care how it would turn out, as long as Dino was the one treating her.

He cleaned her wound and disinfected it. It burnt quite a bit, but Nike didn't mind. In fact, it made her more nervous than anything else. Whenever his fingers brushed against her skin, she noticed how warm his hands were. Nike didn't mind him touching her at all, which confused her almost more than her strange nervousness. Actually, she really liked it a lot. No bad memories would turn up in front of her inner eyes, no cold shivers went through her body, but a very warm and nice feeling. Even his presence alone made her feel at ease somehow.

"Sorry, does it hurt?" he asked after a while, wanting to make sure if she was fine. To be honest with himself, his heart almost jumped out of his chest whenever he touched her accidentally while adjusting the bandage, wanting to make sure it wasn't too tight.

"Nope, it's fine," she simply answered.

"Okay, but tell me if the bandage is too tight, or anything."

"Don't worry. You're the first person that gives me treatment so nicely."

"What? How is that?" he asked surprised. She just shrugged.

"Rika is really rough and understands something else under 'treatment' than others, like all those stupid psycho scientists," Nike scoffed, remembering Rika's libratory. "And we soldier don't receive any treatment. If we don't survive our injuries, well then we die and get replaced. That's just how it is."

"That just cruel." Dino furrowed his brows. "Listen, if you're hurt, come to me immediately and we'll treat it. Though it would be better if you wouldn't get hurt to begin with," he commanded with a grin.

"Hey, now you're getting bossy with me? That's not fair," Nike said jokingly. He looked embarrassed and tried to hide it.

"Just don't get hurt, okay?" he smiled, leaning his head to the side.

"If you stop nagging, fine," Nike responded wryly.

"Say.." Dino stared after a short silence.

"Hmm?"

"Since when do you have that injury?" Dino asked seriously.

Nike blew some strands of hair out of her face and narrowed her eyes, thinking about when it happened. "Got it about two days ago."

Dino remembered that Rika had dragged her on a mission. But it actually surprised him. As far as he knew Nike, she was always on her guard.

"Sorry that I didn't notice it yesterday," he apologized suddenly. Nike stared blankly at him.

"Why the heck are you apologizing for that?"

"Because I should have noticed," he said more firmly. Nike let out a short, amused laugh, surprising him. Then she said teasingly, trying to avoid the topic and wanting him to stop feeling bad about something trial:

"You really are a retard, Pipsqueak Dino~"

Dino flushed nervously. That she knew his former nickname made him want to be swallowed by the ground. "How-! How do you know that name!" he asked, almost spluttering it out.

"Aww~ Don't tell me you're embarrassed?" she grinned and… poked his cheek. When she realized what she did, she drew her hand back and thought that she would get an heart-attack, since her heart jumped.

"What the hell am I doing? I'm the one who hates to be touched! And now I'm just touching him out of nowhere!" She wanted to smack herself. Dino, after realizing what she did, was shocked and stared at her.

"Calm down you stupid moron!" he thought and noticed his fast beating heart.

Now that was awkward.

"..Sorry.." Nike apologized and didn't dare to look at him, then thought: "Really… I'm acting like an idiot.. And here I thought it would get better after I had apologized to him."

"No, I don't mind." he said with a smile after he somehow managed to calm down.

"He doesn't mind..?" Nike thought puzzled, but was glad he wasn't mad.

"But now please tell me why you know of my former nickname," he said, still a bit uncomfortable that Nike knew of it.

"I read a few documents about you before I first came here. There stood that you had a former nickname before your current one," she answered, looking how Dino took care of her arm again.

"I see." Dino sighed.

"And since there wasn't anything specific, I asked Reborn yesterday before I went to sleep," Nike suddenly confessed. Dino almost dropped the bandage. He knew that Reborn would only end up putting weird ideas about him in her head.

"Why did you ask him?" Dino asked her, scared to find out what else Reborn must have told her. Nike was silent for a short moment.

"You said that you wanted to know more about me. I want to know more about you as well. Sorry."

Now she felt like the queen of idiots. She should have gotten a medal for being stupid. However, it did not change the fact that she wanted to get to know him better. For some reason it even made her uneasy that she didn't know enough.

The awkward silence continued. Dino was awfully happy, so much that he had to surpass the wide grin that almost stretched across his face. Then, to relax the atmosphere, he said with a smile as he fixed the bandage:

"Thank you, but next time, just ask me, okay?"

Nike looked at him. "Gotcha!"

~~~2 weeks later~~~

"Where do you come from?" Asking Nike those kind of questions became a lot easier these days. After they had spoken to each other after Nike had returned from her mission, she opened up more. A lot. Her behaviour slowly changed as well. Before, Dino wouldn't ask something like that out of concern, not wanting her to remember anything she didn't want to. But now, she somehow didn't seem to mind.

"I don't really know. I only know that Rika picked me up somewhere in Italy," Nike said and slid down in her chair lazily, staring down from the garden terrace with a hot glass of chocolate in her hand.

"Did she never mention anything?" He looked at her and supported his head with his hand.

"Well, my memories are blurry before I entered Genesis, but… I remember that I grew up in an orphanage until I was 5 and Rika took care of me afterwards," she responded, but then repined: "Though 'taking care' isn't really what I'd call it.."

Dino let out one short chuckle. "Me neither. But then you don't know when your birthday is, right?"

"Nah, I don't. Never celebrated anyway." Nike shrugged, then suddenly said, looking at Dino:

"Okay, but now is my turn to ask. Why did you become a Mafia Boss?"

"Now that's a long story," he said and leaned back.

"Well, I only plan to go to sleep if your story is boring," she responded with a shrug.

"All right." He smiled at her. "I actually never wanted to become one. I hated the Mafia, but my father wanted me to take over the family. I mean he even hired Reborn to tutor me, and that alone was hell."

He laughed when he thought about all the things Reborn had put him through.

"Understandable," Nike muttered when she thought that Rika never made it easy for her, either. And even that was way to understated.

"Well, but I decided to become the boss because I care for my family," Dino continued and smiled softly. Then he looked at Nike and stopped when he noticed that she just stared at him.

"Wow, you're such a softie," she said and it really sounded like mockery.

He nodded. "That's the kind of guy I am." Nike sighed and looked from the terrace again, her expression seeming distant.

"I didn't mean it to insult you. Being a softie isn't necessarily a bad thing. And it's a way better reason than I had for joining Genesis." Nike pulled her knees up to her chest, leaning her chin on them. Dino hesitated to ask, but really wanted to know.

"What was your reason for joining?" Nike followed his voice and shifted her eyes over to him slowly.

"I probably just wanted a reason to continue living. But instead of getting out of hell, I simply stumbled into another one."

Something in Dino's chest clenched. If he could, he wanted to make her feel better. He really didn't like whenever Nike seemed sad.

"I shouldn't ask anything else," he thought, but Nike continued on her own.

"I lived in an orphanage until it burned down, so in the end, I was just a stray. If Rika wouldn't have found me, I would have died miserably. So I kinda owe her, I guess."

Dino didn't know how to comfort her. It was hard to predict what kind of words he needed to cheer her up. But it didn't matter anyway, because suddenly both of them shot their heads up. Both of them felt something, and knew it couldn't be anything good. They starred into the darkness. Everything was quiet besides the rustling of leafs that were touched by a soft breeze.

But suddenly, something appeared in the distance, standing on a tree branch.

It seemed like a creeping shadow, silencing the things around it, seeming to look over to Dino and Nike. But it disappeared as soon as it had appeared.

Dino narrowed his eyes, his expression serious. "What was that?"

"I probably know, and I don't like it," Nike told him, serious as well. Then she leaned back in her chair again, her arms behind her head. "It's probably better not to go anywhere tonight."

"What do you mean?" Dino asked, turning around to look at her. She glanced up at him and didn't seem to like the idea of answering. "No one's going to eat you, so you shouldn't bother with it."

Dino sighed. That wasn't the answer he'd expected. Then suddenly, the glass door to the terrace opened and Reborn walked outside, jumping on Dino's shoulder without saying anything, looking into the direction the shadow-like creature had appeared.

"She's right. If those things wanted to kill you, they'd do it without you noticing it. I'm surprised that it even showed itself," Reborn told him, and Dino looked creeped out.

"Don't tell me it's a ghost!"

Nike looked at him with wide eyes before a mocking smirk stretched across her face.

"Don't tell me our cute, little mafia boss is afraid of ghosts?"

"I-I'm not!" Dino shot his head around, but then calmed down. "But what was that?"Reborn's face turned dark. Nike was awfully silent as well, seeming to think hard abut something.

"Why are these guys here? I don't get what they'd want in this area. There is nothing but the Cavallone here… But if they wanted to attack, they'd have already done it without showing themselves. And now they even disappeared…. What's going on in Genesis…?" Then suddenly, Nike spoke up.

"Those things are called Bloodhounds. They're directly under Hades' command. They're human, or at least that what they were once called. I don't think they have anything left of their humanity, though," Nike said seriously, but then looked at Dino with a grin, not seeming to be bothered all that much.

"Hey but as long as they're not after you, you can sleep tight tonight!"

"Why does that sound as if you're trying to tease me?" Dino asked and looked at her doubtingly.

"But Dino, what she said is true. Try not to get their attention, because they're said to kill anything that gets in their way," Reborn interrupted him.

"Fine…" Dino gave up. Arguing against both of them was even more hopeless than Reborn alone.

"Nike, why don' you wait here? I'm going down to check something."

"I wasn't planning on coming along," Nike responded and made herself demonstratively comfortable on her chair.

Dino twisted his mouth before laughing. "Okay fine. I'll be back in a sec."

Then he disappeared through the terrace's glass door.

Nike looked after him for a few seconds, but the thoughts that came her distracted her. Her actual too eased expression darkened.

"Why are these guys here? I don't get what they'd want in this area. There is nothing but the Cavallone here…"

Then she got up and jumped from the terrace.

~~~Meanwhile~~~

"Can you show me the videotapes from just now? The observation cameras should have recorded something", Dino said shortly after arriving at the control room. Ivan and Bono did as their boss asked and searched around the videotapes.

Reborn was already there as well, looking rather stern.

"It was even too fast for the slow motion," Romario answered.

"Nike at least doesn't really seem to care," Reborn suddenly pointed out and nodded over to one monitor.

Dino's facial expression slid down. "What did you say?" He took a step forward to take a look at the monitor, only to see Nike running outside through the gateway.

"Damn it! Why is she going outside in this situation?" Dino said restless and worked up.

"As if she'd listen to you. And don't be so worried just because Nike is acting on her own. She can take care of herself," Reborn told him, obviously having fun while doing so.

"…I'm not…," Dino wanted to deny it, but he stopped halfway. He knew Reborn was right. He was worried. But he still had hoped she wouldn't act on her own.

"All right I'm going after her," he just said before disappearing through the door again.

"Wait, boss!" Romario hurried after him. Reborn looked at the videorecording for a last time before heading out as well.

"This isn't good… What if they're really here because of the Cavallone? But why should they? And even if, these guys would have attacked already… They wouldn't wait.. So why are they here?"

The ominous feeling inside Nike's stomach wailed up again. She knew that going after them, alone confronting them face to face was insane, but she couldn't sit still. The thought that they could be after the Cavallone family, alone Dino, made her feel like throwing up.

She jumped over buildings, already having a feeling where to find them. Then she stopped, jumping down a house and walked inside and through an empty alley where even Jack the Ripper would have felt at home.

Suddenly, out of the shadows appeared 5 people muffled within black, long and worn-out coats, capes over their shoulders, hoodies covering their heads. Their Venetian masks that covered their faces were bloodstained and each of them individual, flaps of skin decorating them.

They jumped down the stonewall they had been standing on and stopped in front of her.

With a voice that sounded like a sharp and dark hiss rather than a normal voice, the tone cold enough to send shivers down a normal person's spine, one of them said:

"What a surprise to find the lieutenant of the 7th squad here." One of them crept around Nike like a shadow, ready to swallow the last remaining light in a room, like a bloodthirsty, unhuman being that tried to kill its prey without a noise, eyes glowing in a strange way beneath its mask.

Nike didn't move. She stood there with crossed arms and a cold frown, always keeping an eye on him from the corner of her eyes. Even she knew that giving them a reason to attack wasn't a good idea.

"Why are you even here? There shouldn't be any mission for you around here," Nike asked, her seemingly unfazed voice not showing any sign of her actual concerns.

"But master Hades gave us one. So step aside and do not hinder us," their leader hissed.

"What mission?" Nike asked again. She just hoped not to receive the worst kind of an answer.

"Why should we answer someone like you?"

Nike's eyelid twitched. She knew that they wouldn't bother to give her an answer, but still irked her a lot.

"I don't care anymore. Just leave."

"You dare to order us ?" they hissed and the atmosphere became heavy.

"Can't you see that you're bothering the neighbourhood?" Nike said with a light scoff, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Master Hades gave us a mission. So don't hinder us and step aside. And don't dare to mock us either!"

Nike threw her hands in the air and shrugged, not even bothering to sound serious when she remarked:

"Me? Mock you? Never!"

"Silence her!" he shouted and jumped forward, his cold hands that were wrapped around with cold metal about to grab her throat.

"Damn, that wasn't planned…" Nike clicked her tongue. She knew the situation was critical. A fight was a last thing she wanted. All Nike ha wanted was to find out wherever they had a mission that involved Dino and his family or not. But she knew that she could have known better. They always attacked anything came in their way.

His boney hand with disgustingly long fingers and long nails followed Nike's movements, who was jumping back.

However, even though Nike was considered an Class-A soldier, handling 5 Bloodhounds at once wasn't an easy task. Everyone besides the Generals avoided them.

However. Nike noticed that something was off. She could avoid him with ease. Not just because she was fast. No, the Bloodhound didn't seem to make much of an effort to kill her.

But Nike prepared to defend herself if she had to. But before he could reach her, he suddenly stopped and was yanked back abruptly, like he was restricted by something.

"Eh?" Nike looked puzzled. Then she realized who had helped her.

"Dino! Why are you here?"

Dino had yanked him back with ease, then drew his whip back when the guy that had gone after Nike almost choked.

"Seriously, going out even though I asked you to take better care of yourself," Dino responded and shook his head.

"Tha-! That doesn't matter right now! You shouldn't have attacked him, stupid!" Nike did not know what to say and just pointed at the Bloodhound that got back on his feet.

"You dare to-!" the Bloodhound shot around, his eyes flickering with rage beneath the mask when he saw Dino. He charged at him immediately.

Dino's whip cracked like lightning and they clashed. The other Bloodhounds simply watched and their leader seemed to be hesitating for some reason.

Nike wanted to run over to Dino. The weird, sore feeling in her stomach was horrible, and for some reason, she wanted to charge forward to help Dino get away from that cold-blooded creature.

"Wait!" Reborn suddenly appeared next to her.

"What! Don't you know who they are? He'll die if I don't do something!" Nike surpassed the urge to shout at Reborn, but he simply pointed at Dino. When Nike looked over to him she saw that he was grinning, and Nike just stood there taken aback.

"Why..? He's in danger, that idiot.."

"Dino may be a klutz but…" Reborn started smirking. "He's my student after all." Nike looked from Reborn at Dino again. He seemed to enjoy battling, though Nike couldn't sense any feeling that Dino wanted to kill his opponent at all.

Meanwhile Dino drove his whip forward and hit his enemy. He snarled at Dino, blood spurting out of a wound beneath his coat.

"You should surrender. You've got no choice," Dino told him. Nike started gaping at him. Not only that he sounded confident, he had the right to be!

Genesis-soldiers avoided Bloodhounds by all meaning, knowing that they were even more corrupted than any of them. Even Nike didn't like to be near them, but Dino fought against that creature with ease.

"I don't believe it.." Was everything Nike managed to say. She simply gaped at Dino disbelievingly.

"Like I said, he's my student after all," Reborn told her confidently.

"Stop it already!" A loud hiss suddenly cut through the air. Nike jerked her head around and saw how the leader of Hades little troupe called its team-mate back.

"What..?" Nike couldn't believe that even less. They never surrendered. "Just what the hell is going on here?"

"We have our strict orders from master Hades. That Mafioso and the girl are unimportant!"

"Che!" the one who had attacked Dino growled and jumped next to its team-mates.

Before they disappeared into the night, the leader turned to Nike once again, then to Reborn. Its eyes that glimmered threatening in the faint moonlight were haunting. Reborn however, stood against his glare until they disappeared.

"What was that…?" Nike just looked after them. "And where the hell is my answer!" she yelled.

"Woah! Oi, Nike, don't provoke them again!" Dino appeared behind her.

"And you? Who told you to help me anyway? I was trying to get them away from the mansion, and surely not that you'd attract their attention!" Nike said angrily.

"Hey! If you wouldn't have gone out, and would have stayed where I asked you to, this wouldn't have happened in the first place!" He argued back, and Nike wasn't getting out of all those surprises.

"He's arguing back?" Nike was puzzled. But she noticed his worried tone.

"Nike, this idiot was worried about you, so don't be so hard on him," Reborn said with a slight teasing tone.

"Yeah, Mr. Reborn's right, Miss Nike. The boss was really worried," Romario, who had followed his boss out of worry, told her with slight amusement in his voice.

"Don't tell her that!" Dino snapped at Reborn and Romario to prevent them to say anything further. Nike bit her underlip. Somehow, a really tingly feeling wailed up in her stomach.

"He came for my sake….?"

Dino suddenly noticed Nike's somehow dejected and confused expression and tried to calm her. "You know, I was just worried. I asked you to be careful. What if something would have happened?"

Nike tried to swallow the heavy feeling. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be hard on her either. Nike just wanted to protect the mansion, right?" Reborn jumped on Dino's shoulder.

Dino looked surprised from Reborn to Nike, who was quiet and faced everything besides Dino.

"Is that true?"

"Yeah.. I thought that they were here because of you or something… It's not unusual for Hades to let Mafia-related people get assassinated," she responded, first mumbling, then facing Dino.

"Oh.. I see…" Dino didn't know what to say, but he was really touched and felt happy. "She was willing to fight her comrades for me?" he thought, then sighed. He suddenly put one of his hands on Nike's shoulder.

"You know, we have an alliance. They can't just attack like they want to.""… I know," she answered after hesitating. "But it's not like Hades cares about that…" she thought, and at least Reborn seemed to know her thoughts.

"But thank you," Dino continued and smiled.

"Don't thank me for that," Nike answered. Dino almost chuckled. She tried her best to sound and look annoyed, yet it was obvious that she was simply embarrassed.

"Nike?" Dino asked after a short silence, his hand still on her shoulder, which she didn't seem to mind. But she noticed it. His hand was really warm, even through her clothes.

"Hm?" She looked up at him.

"Let's go back."

Nike simply nodded and walked silently next to Dino. She too deep in though to actually start a conversation.

But why did I do it, actually? When I thought that something could happed t him… I just ran outside.. It's suicidal to fight against them, yet I still confronted them.. And Dino too… he… he came for my sake.."

She couldn't deny it. Nike was way too happy that he came for her.

"ke..ike…Nike..?"

Nike finally looked up. Dino's warm voice called out to her.

"What?"

"You're so quiet. Were you injured?" he asked.

"No. And you?" she asked.

"No."

"Better so. If you were, I'd kick your ass. You shouldn't help me when it comes to this," she sighed.

"Hey, I told you already, if you would have stayed-" he was about to argue back again, but Nike cut him off.

"I get it. Thank you for coming for me…"

Dino's eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened. ".. You're welcome."

Then they walked beside each other in silence again. Romario and Reborn, who waled behind them, just grinned.

After a few minutes, they finally arrived back at the Cavallone's mansion.

The door was opened from Dino's subordinates and they stepped inside, exhausted and tired. But before Nike could walk upstairs to her room, Dino stopped her, remembering something.

"Oh, now I remember…"

"Huh?"

Dino stopped in font of Nike and ruffled her hair. Her heart jumped in surprise.

"What are you-?"

"I just remembered that Is till have to say it."

"Say what?"

"Nike.." Dino started.

"Yeah?" she looked annoyed and a bit wary, but the smile on his face eased her.

"Welcome home."

Nike's eyes widened after realizing what he'd said. She was completely caught off guard. "What… why…?"

"Well, you live her now. I thought that it would be nice to say it?" Dino shrugged innocently. Romario and some of his subordinated laughed.

"Yeah, welcome back, Miss Nike."It was an incredibly feeling Nike couldn't describe. Her voice was gone somehow, but she managed to say, somehow now really embarrassed, yet happy:

"I… I'm back."Dino chuckled, his hand still ruffling her hair gently. His hand was so incredibly warm that it was really comfortable. Yeah, those were the words to describe Nike's confused, nervus thought. His presence, his hand was calming, was comfortable.

She glanced at Dino, then thought determined as something clenched painfully in her chest:

"I won't make the same mistake twice… I'll protect him!"

* * *

><p>*dies* hope you enjoyed this chapter!<p>

Anyway, I have (I don't know if good or bad ones *laughs*) news for you guys.

For everyone who's interested in the drama CDs and Hidden Bullet Novels.. I won't translate all of them, but I think those that include Dino at least.

My next chapter, for example, will include some parts from the Drama CD: "Haneuma to Same" (Bucking Horse and Shark). I'll divide this one into 3 parts. More information about that next chapter.

So, after the next chapter, I'm done with my own Arc (the "Introduction + pre-time Arc"). After that, we can finally go on with the "Daily Life Arc" after a time-skip.


	8. Sharkboy with a Kitchen Knife

Yo, everyone! Can't believe that I updated so early this time! Well, the chapter is a bit shorter than usual, I guess. xD It probably helped that I had already translated the Drama CD: Haneuma to Same.

Like I mentioned, this will be the last chapter before the Daily Life Arc starts. Someone we all know and love(?) will appear in this chapter. Hope you look forward to it! Also, a big hug and kisses for those who reviewed, read and also for your kind emails. I'm also happy to count more story alerts, author alerts etc! Thanks so much :33

Note: I have a reason for marking some parts with "***" instead of "" Just note that I wanted to show you where the part that includes the Drama CD is marked with "***" and ends with it as well^^ I'll tell you beforehand if that happens in a chapter.

So, let's get on with the story! I apologize for any mistakes, and hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KHR, I only own my OCs

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 8 <strong>

~~~Shark-boy with a Kitchen Knife~~~

It knocked on the door to Dino's office. The young mafia boss looked up.

"Yes?"

"Boss? I just wanted to tell you that everything is prepared for tomorrow," Romario told Dino after sticking his head through the door.

"Okay, thanks," Dino answered and shut is laptop. Romario left the room again. Nike, who was sitting on the windowsill in Dino's office, one of her leg hanging out of the window, stuck her nose out of her way too thick book and slid her headphones from her ears.

"What's prepared"? she asked lazily, as if she'd just woken up.

"I have a meeting with the Vongola 9th tomorrow," Dino told her and leaned back in his office chair. Nike stared at him, nodded shortly to make him understand that she'd listened and looked back into her book again.

To tell the truth, she wasn't really interested in the Vongola, and 'visited' Vongola HQ once before, anyway. And that had been more than 6 years ago after a certain incident not many knew about. Nike assumed not even Dino did, and never thought about telling him either. It just seemed unnecessary.

"Why don't you come along?" Dino then asked after Nike continued reading her book that seemed to be older than he himself, longer than thousand pages long and on top of that in Latin.

Nike slowly dropped her book and looked at him rather bored, yet disbelievingly.

"Me? Why should I?"

"Because I want to show you the Vongola HQ. It's an amazing building, you know?"

"And why is that so important?" Nike didn't really get why should go sightseeing again. After all, she had seen the building and also, it wasn't really that amazing compared to Genesis HQ. Way smaller.

"Hmm…" Dino thought about what to say for a while. He really wanted her to come along. It didn't sound all that bad to spend the day with Nike, even though she seemed pretty unenthusiastic about it.

"I wanted to introduce you to the 9th," he finally said. It was true though, not an excuse.

"I see.." Nike paused. She just saw him once, and wasn't really interested in that either. But when she glanced at Dino, Nike gave up.

"Sleeping all day long against spending the day with you… Now that's a _hard _decision," she remarked a bit caustic and moved her hands like a scale.

"How mean…" Dino slumped his shoulders in mild exasperation. Nike snorted.

"I was joking, stupid. Fine, if you stop nagging, I'll go with you." She picked her book up again, but not without making another sarcastic remark.

"It can't be that boring to look at an old building and an old man after all."

~~~The next day~~~

"Too… early…" Nike huffed grumpily. The night was too short, the car ride too long and it was too early for her anyway, not matter what time it was unless noon had passed, or afternoon… or actually everything.

To make it short: she was sleepy like always.

"_If I'd have known that I'd get thrown out of bed 6 in the morning, I wouldn't have agreed to this…" _she thought and sighed annoyed.

But Dino just laughed and ruffled her hair until it was an even bigger mess. "You have bed hair, you know that?"

Nike blew some strands of hair irritated out of her face and curled her lips. "And you've picked up quite an attitude…"

But right after that, they already arrived. "It's the 10th Cavallone boss!" some of the safety guards said and let them in. Nike got out of the car a little unenthusiastic, eyeing the blue-roofed, really big Vongola HQ that stood hidden for ages.

"It hasn't changed…" Nike mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Dino asked. Nike just shook her head.

"Nothing."

"Okay… well, let's go." He turned around and they got access to the mansion, Reborn on Dino's shoulder and Romario behind them.

They were lead through a big main hall and through a few corridors. To Nike, this place still seemed like a labyrinth.

"We're there!" Dino suddenly said after stranding in front of a door that seemed slightly different from all the others. Decorated with scrollwork and everything.

The door opened, Reborn jumped from Dino's shoulder and walked inside the room. In the room stood an rather old, but friendly looking man. He had grey hair, a grey beared, wore a brown-greyish suit. In his hand, he held a sceptre.

"Dino! It's been a while!" the 9th, also known as Nono or Timoteo greeted Dino very friendly. Nike was thrown off again.

"_Another overfriendly Mafia boss…"_

"Yeah, I'm happy to see you again," Dino responded very friendly as well.

"And who is that?" Nono asked and looked past Dino, surprised, but still smiling. Even when his glance fell on her Genesis- scarification and -brandings on her upper arm, his smile faded only slightly.

"Oh that's Nike. I wanted to introduce her to you," Dino asked and rubbed the back of his head while stepping aside, so that Nono could look at her.

"So you are Nike. I've heard quite a bit about you. It's nice to meet you," Nono said.

"Nice to meet you…" Nike responded after hesitating, still not convinced by her own words, or Nono's. "Heard about me?" she then added.

"Reborn told me that you and Dino get along well," Nono responded.

"9th! Please don't say something unnecessary!" Dino tried to stop him a bit embarrassed.

"Hoho~ Don't tell me you're shy~" Reborn smirked.

"Stop it, Reborn…" Dino mumbled a bit annoyed, more at himself that the others, with red cheeks.

"But it's true. You never brought a girl along!" Nono said with a smile. Nike just looked away. This situation was just weird.

"Errr.."

Nono looked at her again. "Oh, I'm sorry! But Nike, it was nice meeting you."

"Yeah… I guess," Nike responded. It was not only weird, it was _really_ weird. She actually thought that she was getting used to nice people. Well, Nike had been wrong. It seemed like Dino was the only one she wasn't uncomfortable to be around.

"Nike?" Dino said her name ad Nike looked at him immediately.

"What?"

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Eh.. Hah? You want me to attend your meeting?" Nike asked and stepped back, raising her arms and shook her head.

"Hmm? Yeah, why not?" Dino blinked, a bit surprised by her reaction.

"But why? Even if Genesis is Vongola's ally, a Genesis-soldier attending a meeting with the Vongola and Cavallone bosses is weird." Nike crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow. Dino looked at her as if she'd said something like "Hey, I'm an alien!"

"Doesn't matter for me." he shrugged, then leaned down to look at her directly and smiled softly. "I want you to come along, okay?"

Nike twisted her mouth, a bit annoyed, trying to hide her real reason for doing so. Dino however, noticed immediately that she was simply embarrassed.

"If you insist on it…" she finally answered mumbling, though still not facing him.

***Later***

Dino, Nike and Romario went out of the room after the meeting had finished. Reborn still stayed behind after Nono had asked him to do so. Nike had noticed that the Vongola 9th seemed to be bothered by something, assuming that it was probably weird that she had been there, after all, though Nike was reading the whole time.

On their way out, Dino showed her around a bit, and seemed to be more than existed to do so.

"This place is really great, no matter how many times I come here. It's so big and the security is perfect, too. As expected from Italy's greatest mafia, Vongola family's base. I would like to make one like this, too, right Nike?" Dino said and turned around to look at the tiny girl and his right hand man.

"If you say so," Nike responded lazily, though she had to surpass her urge to grin when she saw how exited Dino was.

"Geez, sound a bit more enthusiastic!" Dino protested, then turned to his right-hand man. "What do you think, Romario?"

"Boss, you'd need to work much harder for that. The Cavallone's stance was at stake, but thanks to you, things became better. So if you work harder, you should be able to accomplish it!" Romario said, half-teasingly.

Dino laughed. "You're joking, right? It's all thanks to Reborn's training that I'm able to be a boss now. Doing more is impossible."

"I know. Besides, the boss is doing a great job! Everyone is grateful that you took over the family!" Romario told Dino. Nike glanced at Dino and thought, not knowing if she should be amazed, or happy for Dino:

"_They really do love their boss, don't they?"_

"Really? Then, that's good," Dino responded slightly sheepish. Then suddenly, he stopped and looked like he had remembered something.

"Nike, Romario, please wait here for a little. I still have something do to here."

"Hmm, what? Your meeting with the Vongola 9th is already over," Romario said wondering. Nike, too, looked a bit confused, but shrugged. However then, she noticed that someone else seemed to be near them, another presence. She looked over her shoulder, while Dino told Romario:

"Ah, I just heard that someone I know is here. I also came here to meet him." And then, Dino suddenly called:

"You're here right, Squalo? Show your face."

"Heh." Someone stepped out from the corner. A tall man, just as tall as Dino, with white, long hair.

"To think that you're able to sense someone's presence. That young master from years ago has grown up a little," he said, though Nike had the feeling it sounded mocking. And somehow, just somehow, even though it may had been just a feeling by then… she didn't like him.

"Yo, it's been a while," Dino greeted him as friendly like he did with everyone. "I heard that you defeated Varia's invisible boss in a sword fight. I knew that you were still becoming stronger, but to think that you would defeat him…."

Nike's eyes widened only for a second, before she narrowed her eyes at the guy Dino had called Squalo.

"_So that's Superbi Squalo…. The guy who defeated Varia's boss. So Dino and that guy really went to the same school. I thought Rika was joking when she said it.."_

"It's not surprising. It just means my sword is stronger. But I also heard rumours about you. The rumour that you made the family, which was about to go down, rise again. Not only that, but also that the relationship among the allianced families became stronger. Cavallone's young 10th boss, also very well known as Bucking Horse. So you can change if you want to, after all." Squalo retorted. Then his eyes fell on Nike, and she knew that he realized who she was.

"_Genesis… so the rumour about the Bucking Horse having connections to Genesis is true after all." _Squalo thought, then added smirking, which made Nike realize that his name, that was translated into "shark" really fit him:

"And it seems like you even have a _lapdog_ now. On top of that a Genesis-lapdog."

Nike thought someone had thrown a brick into her face. Okay, it wasn't just a feeling. She _really_ didn't like him.

Her eyebrow twitched irritated and she had to control herself, or she would have started shaking out of anger.

"Lapdog? Did you call me lapdog?"

"Voi! I did, you tiny person!" Squalo shouted, still smirking.

Nike had enough. Not only did he call her a lapdog, no, he also called her tiny! She snapped.

"Listen, you stupid ass! I don't care if you're a member of Varia or granny's little sugar-boy! If you call me like that again, I'm going to chew your head off!"

"Whoa Nike! Stop!" Dino grabbed her and tried to hold her down, making Nike run at one spot.

"Zip it, Dino!" Nike struggled and pointed at Squalo. "I won't allow _this thing _to breath the same air as me!"

"VOI! You midget! I'm going to pierce you!" Squalo shouted angrily, swinging his sword hysterically around.

"With what? That butter knife? Alright, come at me, shark-boy! I'll make sushi outta you!"

Dino tried to calm her down, but he knew Squalo had hit a point that he rather shouldn't have. Actually, he had hit two.

"Please, Nike, stop it! And you, too, Squalo!" Dino interrupted them. Nike stopped struggling and turned away, huffing.

Squalo still grunted his teeth, but put his sword away. Dino sighed relieved. He almost thought those tow would start chopping each other.

"Anyway, lot's of things happened. I was taught by a really scary home tutor and actually changed against my will," Dino told him lightly amused. Romario laughed while Nike just gawked at him.

"_Scary home tutor? True, but don't let him hear that…"_

"Boss, Mr. Reborn has very good ears. He can hear you everywhere," Romario said. Nike didn't know why, but what he had said was sending a cold shiver down her spine. Dino seemed to feel the same way.

"Don't say scary things, Romario!" Dino whispered almost horrified. Nike nodded agreeing.

"What are you whispering about?" Squalo glared at them.

"Ah, it's nothing," Dino shook his head quickly, then added with a slight, confident smile: "Anyway, since you entered Varia, we have to work together as allianced families. I look forward to working together."

If Nike would have drunken something, she'd have spat it out. She looked at Dino in horror.

Squalo scoffed. "Heh. We'll see that."

"Squalo?" Dino looked at him.

"I'll stand at the top of Varia. I will continue to fight until everything is subordinate to me," Squalo told them, then glanced at Dino and Nike didn't like it.

"I might even fight against you, so don't say sweet things like working together."

"Hey, you wannabe sushi! Don't talk with Dino like that. Gee, you should be happy that he's even talking to a third-class swordsman like you," Nike scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking demonstratively away from him.

Dino looked at her with wide eyes, same as Romario. Did she just defend him?

"Voi! What was that?" Squalo yelled at her.

"Che," Nike simply made an annoyed-provoking sound, still not looking at him.

"You little-!" Squalo was about to scream at her again, but Dino interrupted them yet again, saying:

"This is just like you, Squalo. But I don't want to fight a meaningless fight. I will use my power for the sake of my family. That's what I decided." Nike's eyes shifted to the blond mafia boss.

"_And this is just like you…" _Nike thought and internally, she smiled. However, somehow, she got a heavy feeling as well when she thought about his words. _"His family, huh?"_

Meanwhile Squalo started laughing at him. "Hahaha! That's a good one! How is a mafia boss going to protect his subordinates, who follow him, with his own power? You didn't change at all. You're still a weak young master."

"Hey!" Nike took a step forward, and though deadly calm, she narrowed her eyes and that special strange glow appeared in her eyes once again. "I told you to watch what you're saying, didn't I?"

"Heh, I take back the lapdog. Bucking Horse, you have a watchdog." Squalo scoffed once again, simply pretending not to notice the glow, even though he did.

"Ugh! You piss me off!" Nike hissed.

Dino put his hand on Nike's shoulder. She looked at him and calmed down when she saw his sly smile with an hiked up eyebrow, but not before letting out a heavy, irritated sigh. Then Dino looked back at Squalo.

"Squalo, I'm glad to have seen you again."

***Later***

"Man, that day was long," Dino said and stretched himself.

"That's cuz you threw me out of bed so early…" Nike remarked.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Dino asked.

"It was fine, I guess?" Nike shrugged, pretending to be clueless. She was glad Dino took her along, but still… meeting Squalo after waking up early was something she could have missed out on.

They walked down the floor to the dining room. Nike could smell the dinner already. She noticed only now how hungry she actually was.

When they walked inside the dining room, Reborn was already there.

"How did you get here so fast?" Dino asked him. After getting back to Dino's mansion, Reborn had jumped out of the car as fast as he could.

"I have something to tell you, Dino," Reborn said.

"Huh? What is it?" Dino asked and sat down like Nike.

"The 9th asked me to tutor the future 10th Vongola boss," Reborn told them. Both looked at him.

"The 9th wants to pass on the Vongola boss title?" Nike asked.

"_Well, he _is_ an old man…" _Nike thought.

"Don't tell me the next boss is gonna be-!" Dino was already thinking about the worst possibilities. He already knew that the 9t was searching for an successor, but the one thing he never hoped for was for one of his sons to become the next boss. He knew it would only end in a disaster.

"It's Iemitsu's son," Reborn added briefly.

"Iemitsu? You mean CEDEF's boss?" Dino asked surprised. Nike listened with open ears.

"Iemitsu Sawada…. Isn't CEDEF Vongola's secret intelligence organisation? They're the external advisors, right?" Nike asked.

"Yes, and Iemitsu is their boss. So he's basically number 2." Reborn smirked.

"And the 9th wants Iemitsu's son to become the next boss? Wow," Dino said. "So… does that mean that you're leaving?" he asked carefully.

"Yes. It can't be avoided," Reborn nodded.

"I see…"

Nike noticed that Dino seemed to be a little dejected. She didn't really understand it though. She knew how hard it was to have a tutor like him, yet Dino seemed like he'd miss Reborn.

Maybe their relation was a whole lot different than Rika's and hers.

"It's sad. I know that I could still learn a lot from you, but I understand you. I'm grateful for all the things you did for me. Without you, I wouldn't be the boss I am now," Dino smiled and sighed.

Reborn looked up. But instead of the lovey-dovey moment one that didn't know the Arcobaleno would had expected, Reborn jumped and…

*WHACK*

…kicked Dino.

"Ouch!"

"The boss you are now? Don't go all confident on me! You're still green behind the ears!" Reborn kicked him once again and then dragged Dino after him. "We're going to have one last trial!"

"Oi, Wait, Reborn!" Dino protested, but was already dragged out of the room. Nike just stared after them, then facepalmed.

"This was to be expected… I guess…"

~~~Somewhere else~~~

Hidden, lonely, dark. Those were the words that described Genesis HQ the best. Nobody besides its members knew where to find the HQ.

And deep behind its walls, a middle-aged scientist, often called old by her student, stood in her libratory, a concerned, but somehow dark look on her face.

"The results… Hades.. What do I do if he knows it! Damn it!"

Meanwhile the young charismatic, yet cold young leader of Genesis, Hades, was somehow more cheerful than usual. That alone wasn't a good sign.

"This is better than I thought it is. I spare time, will have more power.. Everything works just like I planned!"

Then suddenly, a cough got Hades attention, just like that person wanted it. The person was covered by shadows, hiding inside the dark room.

"I mean our plan. I beg my pardon," Hades bowed his head with a creepy smile and a movement of his hand. The person nodded and smirked. A smirk, cold as the winter and a person able to change everything.

The past, the present, and the future…

...

So… what will the future be like?

...

-_End of Pre-time Arc_-

* * *

><p>So, that was it for the Pre-time Arc. Never thought of a better name for it LOL<p>

Now we'll have a time-skip and the Daily Life Arc will start. Hope you guys stick with me. Just be prepared that this story is going to be long! XD My holidays start soon, so I'll hopefully even able to update sooner than usual. Maybe every 3-4 days or something?

Also, You'll probably notice a lot of changes when it comes to Nike's personality, or her relationship with Dino. Or at least I hope that I will be able to write it and get it across^^

So, if you want to, please stick with me and, of course, stay well until next time!

Give me some feedback (or just hug the review button, he likes it a lot! X3) and stay tuned!

See you again-desu!


	9. Vongola 10th and Senior Apprentice

Nothing much to say, besides that this chapter is way shorter than all the others XD I separated this chapter into two 'cause it would have been too long again. Hope you enjoy it anyway. Finally, the Daily Life Arc starts!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHR, just my OC/s.

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 9 <strong>

Daily Life Arc

~~~Vongola 10th and Senior Apprentice ~~~

. . .

_All of us have dark moments. All of us have something we regret. Some of us learn to live with it, some will never be able to accept the truth. But no matter how we choose to handle it, we learn to keep on going. We keep on going because we find something that helps us to face ahead, something that pushes us. Something worth fighting for._

_We may just do not realize it yet…_

. . .

"If you don't wake up soon, we're gonna be late.." The 22-year old Dino still stood in front of Nike, trying to wake her up. But even after an hour, she wouldn't even open an eye after hearing him knock on her door.

"Uuugh…" the 18 year old made a mumbling noise that wasn't making him sure whether she was awake or not.

"Nike, are you awake?" he asked, getting out of ideas how to wake her. Nike, who's face was buried in her pillows, didn't answer.

"Nike…" Dino tried again. But before he could finish his sentence, one of her pillows met his face.

"No, I'm just playing dead, you know?" Her sarcasm dripped into her pillow.

"Hmm." he looked at her with a disbelieving smile until her decided to squat down next to Nike's bed. He was already used to this procedure, and this time really felt bad about waking her.

She must have had jet-lag, just like him. Reborn's invitation to visit him and his new student came in a few days ago. Now they were in a hotel in Japan and his subordinates usually refused to wake Nike up. If there was a way to get on her bad side, than it was definitely this one.

And truthfully, there was just one word to describe her after being woken up. _Scary._

But now Dino found himself looking at the side of her face, strands of hair covering parts of it. She looked really innocent and cute lying there. He felt the urge to stroke her hair, but restrained himself as soon as he noticed his hand moving on its own. He pulled it away and told her, crossing his arms:

"_I'll_ be the one getting punished if we're late."

She finally turned her head around to look at him. The dark, gloomy atmosphere surrounding her made him back down a few centimetres. But when their eyes met, Dino was surprised to find her simply sighing as she stopped her death glare. His surprised expression turned into a smile. Seeing this, her cheeks turned warm. To prevent them from turning red, she suddenly started grinning cheekily and hit him with another pillow. He was so startled, that he fell backwards.

"Whoa!"

Nike meanwhile sat up and started laughing at him.

"Haha! That's what you get for waking me up!"

He blinked a few times, then shook his head and grinned wryly. Even though she was laughing at him, he still found her awfully cute.

"_I'd get hit with another pillow if I told her that, though…" _he thought, still resting his eyes on her face that was perfectly framed by her frayed and layered - as well as now slightly messy looking - hair, which had gotten longer since he had met her.

"Okay, okay I got it. I'll stand up now, you nag."

Tsunayoshi Sawada, called Tsuna, or No-good-Tsuna. 14 years old, middle school student.

He was one of those people that never had any luck. Bullied by classmates, a father that's absent all the time, miserable grades, a crush on a girl who doesn't even notice it, and on top of that, he was Reborn's student. In other words, he was the Vongola 10th boss to be.

It was another one of these days where Tsuna thought running away from home was a better solution as being tutored by the professional, little hitman.

After almost getting a heart-attack as he saw a group of tough-faced people in front of his house, he met the young mafia boss Dino and his companion Nike.

Right after they introduced themselves and made fun of him, they started discussing about Tsuna's future as Vongola 10th, much to the brown-haired middle schooler's dismay.

"Uhh… there seems to be a misunderstanding. I don't want to become a mafia boss!"

"It's just like Reborn said! You're exactly how I used to be!" Dino laughed.

"Eh?"

"Poor guy. I don't think that was a compliment." Nike smirked mischievously. Dino shifted his eyes to her, raised an eyebrow and grinned wryly, however, still seeming somewhat used to Nike's comments.

"Are we having fun?"

She looked at him like he had said something really shocking. "I just like teasing you."

Dino shook his head as he cleared his throat and looked at Tsuna again."You know, in the beginning, I thought the mafia could go to hell for all I care. There are no good guys in the mafia, after all."

"But…" Tsuna started again, while Dino grabbed inside his coat.

"But if you keep refusing…"

He pulled out his turtle Enzio and grinned widely, while Tsuna thought of the worst possibilities and dropped on his back.

"He'll bite you!"

Turtle?" Tsuna asked puzzled when he realized what Dino held in his hand.

"He fell for it!" Romario and Bono laughed, while Tsuna just stared disbelieving at the turtle in Dino's hand.

"This guy's Enzio. When I asked Reborn for Leon, he gave me Enzio instead," Dino told him. Nike's eyes shifted over to him.

"_What a lie…" _she thought, actual knowing how Dino got Enzio. Sure, Reborn gave the turtle to him, but the way it happened had been quite unique.

"Leon is my partner after all," Reborn commented. Leon, his chameleon, was just blinking.

"_What's up with these people?" _Tsuna thought, still in shock.

Moments after that, they heard a weird voice from somewhere. When the door to Tsuna's room snapped open, a little boy in a cow costume, named Lambo, chased by a little Chinese girl, named I-Pin, came in.

"…_. Noisy…" _Nike thought, but then something else caught her eye. The boy held something pink in each of his hands. Suddenly, Lambo tripped and two pink grenades were unlocked right before he let go of them accidentally. They flew out of the window, almost meeting with Nike's and Dino's faces.

"This is bad. Dino's men are still outside," Reborn said calmly, and Nike shot her head around. When she was about to jump out of the window, she felt Dino's hand lightly touching her shoulder right before he ran past her.

He stepped on the windowsill and jumped outside. Bringing out his whip, he shouted:

"Get down, guys!"

Before his men could realized what was happening, Dino managed to catch the grenades with his whip and threw them up. They exploded in midair. Luckily, nobody was harmed and Dino landed safely and his feet. His subordinates even started laughing and looked completely calm.

"The boss did it again. He surprises us at least once a day."

"Oh come on, that's not true…" Denying and a bit embarrassed, Dino put his hands in his trouser pockets.

"He's so cool…" Tsuna mumbled impressed, looking out of the window. Nike stood next to him, her elbows resting on the windowsill, her head in her hands.

"He's just trying to impress you."

"I'm not!" Dino shouted from below, a slight grin on his face. Nike stuck out her tongue with a smirk and Dino scratched his head with a defeated sigh.

"So, do you understand? A boss will risk his life for his family," Reborn told Tsuna.

"Don't relate everything back to that!" Tsuna yelled.

Meanwhile, they didn't notice Lambo, who stood on the windowsill between Nike, Reborn and Tsuna. He held another pink grenade and unlocked it on purpose, charging at Reborn, interrupting the little quarrel.

"Reborn, die!" he laughed.

"Watch out!" Dino shouted and his subordinates saw what was about to happen as well.

Reborn was about to slap him away, but Nike didn't bother to wait for it, grabbed the cow-boy by his collar and threw the grenade, along with the boy, out of the window.

It exploded in midair again, Lambo flying straight through the window downstairs.

"GYUPIIII!"

"Haha, Miss Nike, that's mean," Dino's men laughed and Dino himself face palmed, thinking that his heart would stop beating for a second.

"And she surprises _me_ at least once a day…"

"Good backhand, Miss," Romario told her.

"Wah, she's so cool as well!" Tsuna said amazed. Nike turned her head, which was still in her hands, to look at Tsuna and started grinning confidently.

"I'm just showing off as well."

Tsuna blushed, while Reborn suggested:

"Dino, why don't you and Nike stay over today?"

"WAHHH?" Tsuna shouted and Nike stared at Reborn in disbelief as well.

"_What's he planing now?"_

"Hm, I don't mind but what about these guys?" Dino asked, his hands in his trouser pockets again, talking about his subordinates.

"They can return," Reborn answered.

"We don't have to worry if you're with Mr. Reborn," Dino's subordinates teased him.

"And don't forget Miss Nike. She's with him as well."

"Ah, Boss, be nice to Miss Nike."

"What, no way! Miss, Nike, come back with us!"

"Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow, guys." Nike waved from above.

"Geez you guys…" Dino let out one short chuckle, then looked at Reborn. "Okay then, I might as well give the Vongola 10th an advice or two."

~~~Later~~~

"Please eat up, everyone!" Nana said with a bright smile again, after everyone sat at the dining table.

"_Our table has so many people all of a sudden..." _Tsuna thought while everyone else was trying Nana's food.

"Wow, it's really good!" Dino stated quite happily, and Nike nodded. However she just couldn't stop wondering about Nana. The woman definitely didn't look like 34 at all...

Soon after, her attention was drawn by Dino, who asked Tsuna:

"Is there anything you want to ask me, my cute sworn brother? Oh yeah, do you have a family?"

"_What should I do? I'm happy that Dino likes me, but I still don't want to join the mafia…" _Tsuna thought and Reborn answered for him.

"Right now there is Gokudera, Yamamoto and a few candidates. Hibari Kyouya, and Sasagawa Ryohei."

"Those are just my friends and upperclassmen!" Tsuna hissed. "Anyway, why did you come here? You were doing just fine with Dino-san."

"Vongola is the centre of our allied families. That's why it has top priority," Dino explained.

"The Vongola is _that_ influential?" Tsuna's jaw dropped. Nike watched Tsuna for a while and came to the decision, that it must be really pitiful to be him, but then Nana interrupted.

"Oh, Dino-kun… My, my you spilled all your food.."

Dino looked down and found his food all over the table, just not on his plates. It looked like a little baby had tried to eat alone for the first time.

Dino's cheeks flushed red and his mouth dropped open. Nike snorted and tried not to start laughing out loud, while Tsuna looked shocked once again.

"If Dino is without his subordinates, he's useless," Reborn explained.

"True," Nike nodded, smirking lightly.

"Huh?"

"He's the type who can only use his powers for the family or in front of the family. Without his men, his abilities drop dramatically," Reborn continued.

"What? In other words he's the ultimate build for a boss?" Tsuna couldn't believe it.

"Again with that, Reborn… You really want Tsuna to believe that? I usually eat with a fork and a knife, so I can't use chopsticks very well…" Nike and Reborn smirked at Dino while he tried to make up excuses for his obvious clumsiness in front of Tsuna. The silence between them was awkward for Dino. They knew he was clumsy, he knew he was clumsy. He just didn't know why. The only one who believed Dino's excuses right away was Tsuna.

"I see… that must be it."

Meanwhile Nana stood up to prepare the bath. But just seconds after that, they heard her scream. All of them jumped up. Unfortunately Dino tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face.

"D-Dino-san, are you alright?" Tsuna asked puzzled. Nike just squatting down next to him while Dino twitched in pain and rubbed his forehead.

"I stepped on my own foot…"

"See? He really is a klutz," Reborn said.

"It can't be…" Tsuna gaped at Dino. Nike started poking him a few times.

"Aren't you going to stand up?"

"Ouch…" he mumbled, starting to stand back up. Right after that, Nana came running back, only spluttering:

"In the tub…!"

They ran down the floor to the bathroom, and when they opened the door, a grown Enzio greeted them growling in the bathtub.

"Unbelievable!" Tsuna's eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets.

"Can't you take care of your pet?" Nike looked at Dino in slight amusement.

"Damn, when did he get away?" Dino asked himself, rubbing the back of his head questioningly, while Reborn explained to Tsuna why Enzio had grown this big.

"What the heck is up with that?" Tsuna shouted. Poor guy. This day was full of 'surprises' again.

Suddenly, Enzio started biting into the bathtub, slowly breaking it into pieces.

I-Pin, who had followed them, prepared to attack the grown turtle. But her special attack which included garlic had no effect on Enzio.

"I-Pin's Gyouza Ken didn't work?" Tsuna asked surprised.

"Turtles can hold their breath pretty long," Nike simply explained, standing behind Dino, only able to look past him when she leaned to the side.

"Stay back," Dino suddenly stepped forward, his whip in his hand once again. "Nobody interfere. If I can't even take care of my own pet, it would be a disgrace for the Cavallone family."

"I just said the same thing…." Nike raised an eyebrow. She knew how this would turn out and stepped back, not bothering to interfere, since she knew the situation would probably turn worse with Dino's current abilities..

"Calm down, Enzio!" Dino shouted and swung his whip confidently. And as confidently as he thought he would stop Enzio, Nike was confident that he would hit everything but the turtle. She was right. The whip met Tsuna's face and left a red mark across it.

"Owowowow!" Tsuna whined, pressing his hands against his face to stop the pain somehow.

"Sorry! I slipped!" Dino apologized nervously. Now Nike was certain; the situation called for a face palm.

"You get it now?" Nike looked at the still shocked Tsuna.

"Without his men, he's not fully himself," Reborn finished the sentence for her.

"I can't believe that the magnificent…!" Tsuna shouted, but was interrupted. Enzio stepped out of the bathtub and growled at them.

"Seriously…" Nike shook her head in disbelief. But before she could bring herself to step forward, Reborn interfered.

"Though he told us not to interfere… it can't be helped. Now is my turn." That being said, Leon jumped in Tsuna's face, changing into a mask that looked like Romario. Dino looked at Tsuna.

"You're here, Romario? I thought you went back with the others!" He swung his whip another time. "Idiot, stay back!"

This time, Dino managed to wrap his whip around Enzio's feet. The turtle lost its balance and fell over, struggling while laying on the back.

"Sleep for a while." Dino said calmly.

"_Dino is still cool…" _Tsuna thought amazed.

And so, Enzio returned to his original sized after being blow-dried. But without his men, Dino is still nothing more than a klutz….

"A-Are you okay?" Tsuna asked Dino insecure. Dino was lying on his back. He had fallen down the stairs again.

"May introduce Dino's worst enemy?" Nike grinned as she looked at Dino. "Stairs."

Suddenly Nana walked around the corner, putting her hand on her cheek in surprise as she saw Dino, who had still troubles standing up.

"My, my Dino-kun, are you all right?"

"Yeah…" he responded and got up.

"You know, I just wanted to ask if I should show you and Nike your room? It's so late already," Nana asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Dino looked at Nike who nodded, then was quiet.

"_Wait, did she say _your _room?" _Dino seemed to be asking himself the same question. They walked after Nana, until she opened a door at the first floor.

She shoved Dino into the room, causing Nike, who stood in front of him to stumble forward, almost falling onto the two futons that were neatly put together in front of the window.

Both turned around to see the sparkling aura of hers.

"Ohh~ Now don't be shy about sharing a room~ You're a couple after all!" Then she shut the door.

Dino gaped speechless after her, while Nike looked from door to Dino, both of them knowing who must have told her such a lie.

And image of Reborn who had an evil spark in his eyes appeared in their heads. Trying to let the thoughts of Reborn blow out, Nike crossed her arms in front of her chest before turning to Dino, as she said:

"And _this _is exactly reason why I didn't want to visit Reborn."

* * *

><p>Sorry for the delay. Seriously I tried to change this chapter for like 5 times and didn't like it no matter what I did =w= I even thought about leaving all honorifics out, but decided against it. You can tell me how you feel about that if you want to. Anyway, though it's short, I thought I just leave it be before I trash my pc XD<p>

So, the next chapter should be up soon, btw. I actually already wrote it. I just need to edit it. If I'm nice, I'll update tomorrow ^.^

Just one thing before I close this chapter… Seriously, who felt confused after finding out how old Nana is? I did XD Does _that_ look like 34? LOL

Anyway, see ya next time! Thank you for all your kind comments etc.! Love all of you! Stay well! *waves*


	10. Sleepless Night

Okay, Seems I was fast with the editing XD Hope you guys are happy :D Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter :3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHR, just my OC/s.

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 10 <strong>

~~~Sleepless Night~~~

Some moments in Dino's life were nerve wrecking, especially ever since Reborn had entered his life, but most of them had an actual purpose in his life as a boss. The current moment however, really wrecked his brain cells. How the hell should he survive a night that he had to spend in the same room as Nike?

It wasn't even possible to describe how uncomfortable that situation was. No, actually, it was terrible. Well, not terrible in that sense, but in a sense of absolute cruel torture, all because of one tiny little problem.

It made him _nervous_. Really, Dino thought his heart was about to burst.

But there was something else. He couldn't touch her. Touching her was still a very delicate matter.

Which guy is able to sleep in the same room as a girl that makes him feel that way without taking advantage of the situation? Dino, of course. And so, this night was about to turn into a torture for him.

Nike on the other hand, didn't seem to be bothered at first, which hurt him quite a lot. She seemed calm. But after looking at her twice, he somehow just knew that she wasn't ok with sleeping right next to him, after all. Why he knew it? He just did. One twitch of her eyebrow was enough to tell him what she was thinking about. Or maybe he knew it because she tried to escape through the window?

"Nike, what are you doing?" Dino asked, careful not to let his voice sound strange out of embarrassment. She slowly turned her head, her expression seeming strangely stiff, her calmness forced.

"I… " Dino could see her brain cells working, searching for an excuse that wouldn't let her look uncool.

"I just want to look at the stars?" Right, that excuse was a complete fail, and Dino eyed her just like it was.

"Riiight. But weren't you the one who said that looking at stars is mushy?"

She propped her hands challenging on her hips, yet her confident expression was …just unconfident.

"Maybe I changed my mind?" Her words weren't even convincing herself. Dino hiked one eyebrow up, staring at her out of amusement.

"I'm not so sure about that."

Letting out a distressed sigh, Nike let herself fall down on one of the two futon mattress'.

"Gosh, I'm glad you noticed. Not only that I'd want to kill myself for doing that, I'd also freeze to death."

Jokes aside, the feeling of a washer inside her stomach didn't stop. Nike hated sleeping next to someone. If it came to Rika, the possibility of getting punched to death or being strangled was high, but she knew Dino would never hurt her.

Besides, she wasn't feeling wary like when she had to share a room with Rika. The feeling couldn't be compared at all.

When the sudden movement of one of the futons shook her out of her thoughts, Nike only lifted her head, too lazy to sit up completely.

Dino smiled at her while he pulled one futon over to the other side of the room. He repeated the words 'safety space', over and over in his head while adjusting his blanket.

Nike rolled over and pushed herself up, observing him closely. Knowing that he put space between so that she wouldn't worry, she started grinning mischievously.

"What..?" Dino could somehow tell she grinned to tease him.

She laughed teasingly. "Nothing~ You're just such a softie~"

~~~Later~~~

Not being able to sleep was definitely understated. It was worse. Dino's eyes shot open every time he had tried to close them, staring at the ceiling while listening to Nike calm breathing.

"_She's sleeping like a stone… I don't know if I should admire her or be hurt…"_ he thought slightly dejectedly, maybe even annoyed at himself as he rolled his head to the side to look at Nike, where he found her hugging her pillow, the blanket covering more of the floor than the small girl.

"_Geez…She'll catch a cold…" _His eyes observed her gently. When he was about to stand up to throw her blanket over Nike again, he saw how her eyebrows suddenly furrowed, her face twisting restlessly. He shifted himself up, propping on his elbows to take a better look at her.

"_Nightmare?"_

He decided to get up, but before he could even remove his blanket, Nike suddenly moved and rolled over, presenting her with shorts and T-shirt covered body on the floor.

"_What kind of sleep is that?" _Dino asked himself disbelievingly. She moved around like a little child.

He removed his blanket to get up, thinking how to get her back onto her futon without waking her. Then suddenly, Nike moved again and started rolling. She almost looked like a fish that was cast ashore.

The distance of about 3 meters between them was closed before Dino could act or even start thinking straight again, only to find Nike lying next to him on his futon.

Flustered, he tried to order his thoughts. He didn't know what to do and started to think disordered of what to do.

His heartbeat was drumming and so loud, that he had the feeling whoever slept next door could hear it.

When his eyes finally made their way to Nike's sleeping face, he calmed down immediately, his nervousness and worry displaced by relief. She seemed to sleep peacefully, no traces of a nightmare showing on her face.

While he still supported himself on one of his elbows, he scratched the back of his head clueless.

When he began to feel irritated by himself for getting the feeling of wanting to hug the sleeping girl next to him, he remembered the futon Nike had been sleeping on a few minutes blew some of his blond hair annoyed out of his face and wanted to get up to sleep on the other futon. When he lifted up his body, he suddenly felt another weight clinging onto him, almost causing him to fall on top of Nike. Being his klutzy self, he simply let his face meet with the floor, but at least managed not to squish her.

"Ouch…" he mumbled, then studied his own body, where he found two slim arms wrapped around his neck.

"_You're kidding right?" _he thought with wide eyes. Dino tried to unwrap her arms, but she wouldn't let go. It wasn't like he couldn't have gotten her off him. Physically, he was way stronger than her after all. But first, he didn't want to wake her, since she was scary after waking up; and second, the situation didn't seem all _that_ bad.

He grabbed the blanket and somehow managed to cover both of them with it, making sure that it covered at least her shoulders. After that, he hurried to place his arms above the blanket. Another small safety measurement necessary; at least he thought so.

He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling Nike's rather cold seeming body temperature.

"_Come to think of it, she always has rather cold hands, hasn't she?" _he thought. Moments after that, Nike moved.

Dino flinched as he found her face buried into the left side of his neck, still clinging onto him with her arms while making mumbling noises. He shifted his face to the side, looking down to face her. His eyes followed her facial contours, her long eyelashes, her fringe that fell into her face. His right hand moved up to her face, where he cupped her cheek gently. When he noticed a somehow goofy smile appearing on her lips while snuggling her cheek against his hand, he found his head moving closer to her face, where he kissed her forehead softly.

Noticing what he did, he flushed and let his head drop back in his pillow before slapping his forehead frustrated.

He couldn't believe what he just did, and was simply confused by his own feelings that he couldn't determine, or order; the feelings he had the girl next to him. And right now, he felt like an idiot.

"_What the hell is wrong with me? Taking advantage of a sleeping girl next to me!"_

He could have cried. The situation wasn't that bad?

No, he was right. It was really just a torture.

~~~Next Morning~~~

Nike's eyes crept open, sunlight tickling her sleepy face.

After cursing the sun for waking her up, she somehow managed to sit up. She noticed immediately something was off.

Why the heck did she sleep so well? On top of that she had slept through the night! How rare, or actually - for her - physically impossible. At least she had thought so. After moments of silence and more confusion, she noticed that something was missing.

"Huh, where is Dino?"

She stood up and staggered sleepily over to the door which she opened, not even noticing that she had been sleeping on the wrong futon. When she opened the door, voices could be heard from down below.

"Nyahahaha! Die, Reborn!"

*Boom*

"GYUPIII!"

Lambo's voice followed from a little explosion echoed through the house.

"… How can someone be so noisy in the morning..?" Groaning, she shut the door again.

~~~Later~~~

"I'm leaving!" Tsuna called, his mother wishing him a nice day.

"Damn! I overslept because of that incident with Dino's turtle!" Tsuna cursed himself as he ran outside.

When he ran around the corner, he found Dino's subordinates standing in front of his house again.

"Buongiorno, 10th," Romario greeted Tsuna, who just spluttered:

"Uh… Dino-san and Nike-san are….. "

Meanwhile, a rather sleepy seeming Dino walked outside, who had managed to stand up without walking Nike up. Scratching his had slightly annoyed, he asked:

"Why are you guys here? I didn't ask for a pick-up."

"No one's here to pick you up, boss. We were just taking a stroll and ended up here," Romario explained with a grin, making it obvious that it _was _a pick-up.

Dino snorted. "From the hotel in front of the station?"

Tsuna snickered. _"Dino-san is really well-liked by his subordinates."_

Then suddenly, the entrance door opened again. Not a second later, Dino found himself heavier than before after someone jumped on his back, a pair of arms wrapped around his neck again.

"Eh? Romario, everyone? Why are you here? Did Dino ask for a pickup?" Nike leaned her head to the side while peering over Dino's shoulder lazily.

"Hey, Nike!" Dino grabbed her arms to prevent her from choking him. "How often will you try to choke me anyway?"

Not that he really minded her clinging onto him, though.

But wait, touching her was a delicate matter? Ok, let's revoke that statement for now. Nike touched him whenever it was possible. Mostly because she really enjoyed teasing him. Poking his cheeks, elbowing him, jumping at him to hug him from behind because she was too lazy to walk, or out of other unknown reasons, even leaning against him because she was sleepy. So to be exact, she didn't seem to mind touching him, or him touching her. The problem was just, he didn't want to make feel bad if she ever seemed to mind it, and also, he needed a reason to touch her. That alone was making him feel frustrated enough.

"No, we just ended up here somehow," Romario explained to Nike. She grinned wryly.

"Of course…. Geez you guys love your boss to much." That said, she started to pinch Dino's cheek.

"Stop that," Dino tried to say, making it sound rather funny since she enjoyed pulling his face into a grimace.

"Why?" she asked cheekily. Romario cleared his throat, while Dino's other subordinates started laughing. They seemed to be quite amused by their boss and Nike.

While Tsuna eyed them in a mixture of admiration and a bit of jealousy, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Good morning, 10th!"

"_Gokudera-kun!" _

"I woke up too early and ended up here," Gokudera Hayato, who wanted to be Tsuna's right-hand man, explained, seeming like a loyal puppy while talking to him.

"_He's saying the same thing!" _Tsuna thought, remembering what Romario had asserted moments ago.

"Anyway, these guys here.. Who are they?" Gokudera's happy expression turning into a downright scowl.

"Hey, Smoking-Bomb brat! It's our first time meeting, right?" Dino greeted him confidently, while Nike let go of him and crossed her arms behind her head.

Gokudera noticed Dino's tattoo. "That tattoo. You're Bucking Horse Dino!"

"Hey Tsuna, Gokudera!" someone else called.

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna said after the easy-going baseball-lover, Yamamoto Takeshi, threw his arms around his friends' shoulders.

"Yo!" he greeted Dino, before he dragged Tsuna and Gokudera after him cheerfully, telling them that they'd be late for school.

Dino and Nike looked after them, Nike more annoyed from the uproar in the middle of the morning.

"So that's Tsuna's family. A bunch of children," Dino stated.

"You seemed concerned." Reborn noticed.

"Of course. After all, it's about the family of the sworn brother who reminds me of my past," Dino admitted.

"So, what do you think about them? Usable?" Reborn asked, already seeming to make plans.

"Maybe. The most important thing for a family is trust. As long as I don't see that, I don't approve of them."

Nike looked away, not knowing if she think of it as funny, or sad. _"Trust? So he trusts me because I trust him…? How simple-minded."_

"Then why don't you test them out?" Reborn said. Nike's eyes widened.

"_No! Just no test!"_

"Test?" Dino asked, somehow seeming interested. Nike pointed at Reborn.

"You're not seriously thinking about testing them with _his_ help, are you? Nothing good comes out of his brain!"

Dino ruffled her hair, a thing that had been common for him already."I'll be careful. I'm just worried about Tsuna, you know?"

Nike grumbled something under her breath as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She couldn't say anything against him when he started smiling or even ruffled her hair.

"_How pathetic.. I'm wrapped around his little finger… " _

~~~Meanwhile~~~_  
><em>

Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto walked to school. But the peaceful atmosphere was broken as suddenly a red Ferrari appeared behind them. When it passed the friends, a rope shot out of the car, tangling Tsuna up and dragging him after the stylish car.

"Hiii! No way!" he shouted, not believing what was happening.

"10th!"

"Tsuna!"

"They're Yakuza called the Momokyokai that controls the area here. You middle schoolers won't stand a chance against them," Reborn told them, appearing out of nowhere.

"Reborn's right, even though I hate to admit it. Maybe you should leave it to Dino and his subordinates," Nike, who appeared on the stonewall, that seemed to surround the _whole _neighbourhood, suggested.

"Like hell I'd leave it to them!" Gokudera shouted and started running after the car, just like Yamamoto.

"We'll leave the cops to you, boy."

After they disappeared around the corner, the red Ferrari, that had driven around the block, appeared behind Reborn, Dino getting out of the car followed by Romario.

"I like that. Their minds are set on rescuing Tsuna. They lost their composure, but they're trustworthy."

"What are you doing, Dino-san?" Tsuna complained after being released from the rope.

"Sorry, sorry. I just had to test your family," Dino apologized grinning.

"Test?" Tsuna asked confused, while Dino's subordinates excused themselves. "But what about Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto?"

Dino tried to calm Tsuna down. "Don't worry. Momokyokai is just some imaginary Yakuza group Reborn made up. They'll probably give up and come back soon."

"_Wait.. imaginary?" _Nike hiked her eyebrows up. _"But didn't I hear that somewhere before…?"_

Reborn started smirking, while casually mentioning: "Ah, I forgot to tell you guys. The Momokyokai is a real, existing Yakuza group in this town."

"What!" Tsuna freaked out. "Then they really went to the Yakuza's territory!"

"What are you thinking, Reborn!" Dino shouted at him as well. "The opponents aren't just some punks or delinquents! There's no way those kids can win against them!"

"That's true. I heard that they're very strong." Reborn was completely calm.

"God, Reborn! Why do you always do extreme stuff like this? That's no joke!"

"For real! What are you gonna do if they get hurt!" The worry for his friends forced Tsuna to shout at his home tutor.

But all the shouting wasn't of any use. Reborn simply fell asleep.

"Are you listening!" Dina and Tsuna yelled at him in union. Reborn was just impossible. It wouldn't be surprising if would simply walk away, making fun of their own foolishness for believing in him.

Nike had listened to everything and simply shook her head sighing, shooting Dino a look that told him: 'I-told-you-so'.

Dino sighed distrerssed. "Yeah, yeah I got it. Please don't harp on about it, please…" Then he turned to Tsuna, still mad at Reborn, but determined.

"Okay, let's go, Nike, Tsuna."

"Eh? Let's go?" Tsuna asked, already terrified of what would be coming next, while Nike knew what he planned, already being about to turn around and decamp. But since Dino could tell what she was planning, he started looking at her, his eyes asking for her support.

"Oh, c'mon…" Nike still had no intention of going, but again, couldn't argue back. And letting him go without his subordinate was suicide for him, and everyone around him. _Especially_ those around him.

Tsuna had even less intentions of going, struggling against Dino's attempts to drag him along.

"Don't worry, I'll go with you," Dino told him, again, grinning.

"_That's exactly why he should worry.." _Nike thought, rubbing her forehead.

"But!" Tsuna looked horrified. He should have stayed in bed.

"Whatever… Since I won't be able to take an afternoon nap now, I'll go on ahead." Nike sounded everything but excited as she took off to the Momokyokai's hideout first.

~~.~~

Nike was fast with catching up with Yamamoto and Gokudera, but unfortunately arrived when they had already entered the Yakuza's hideout. She jumped to one of the upper windows that stood open. She thought the only thing that would had a need of getting picked up were their bones, but to her surprise, both of them were happily beating everything up that came in their way, including the shabby inventory.

She simply leaned back and watched as both of them started threatening the Yakuza in their own way; one aggressive and one asking nicely.

A few minutes later, while the rather one-sided brawl was till in full play, Dino and Tsuna walked through the door.

"10th!" Gokudera came running like a little puppy as he saw Tsuna.

"You look all right," Yamamoto stated cheerfully.

Dino grinned. "They're really something." After that he looked over to Nike was sitting lazily on the windowsill. She waved at him. When he raised an eyebrow, she just shrugged.

"Hey, they didn't need any help!"

But more Yakuza were disturbing the short silence. "What did you do, you brats?"

"Uwahh! The strong-looking guys arrived!" Tsuna shouted in dismay. Gokudera prepared himself to charge at them again, but Dino interrupted him."Wait, there not like the others you just beat up. You can't do it."

"What!"

"Leave an adult opponent to an adult."

Nike's facial expression fell. "Oh-oh…"

"I'm the 10th boss of the Cavallone family. It's my fault that it turned out like this, I apologize." Dino was friendly yet serious. "I'll pay for everyone's medical fees as well as the fee to repair the equipment. Please accept that offer."

The unfriendly looking Yakuza started smirking. "We'll take the money, but you guys aren't going anywhere."

Dino brought out his whip. "You've broken off all negotiations, then. I guess we'll have to return with force."

He swung his whip and landed a direct hit…

At himself, Gokudera and Yamamoto.

"What the heck are you doing!" Gokudera yelled, noticing how his face swelled up.

"Oww!"

"I hit myself, too!" Dino stammered in pain.

"This can't be true…" Nike face palmed while the Yakuza started laughing.

"What the heck was that? Whatever, just make sure they never talk again!" They came running, weapons in their hands.

"It can't be helped." Nike jumped up. Two of them attacked her, but she simply stepped aside and tripped one of them up, causing him to stumble into the one that ran in front of him. They lost their balance and fell out of the window.

Meanwhile Reborn helped out Tsuna, shooting him with additional bullets, giving him a pair of gigantic hands that beat up everything that came in his way, Yamamoto and Gokudera backing him up.

When they were not awaiting their arrival at all, Dino's subordinates appeared, too. "We can't lose to them, boss! Why are you slacking off by yourself?"

"Right, that's uncool!"

"God, you guys are noisy," Dino responded annoyed, though actually happy that they came.

After Tsuna's friends expressed their shock by seeing Dino's strength, they beat up the remaining Yakuza.

And that is the story how the Momokyokai was destroyed and Dino finally satisfied with Tsuna's family…

~~~Later~~~

Back in Tsuna's room, Dino started laughing, being impressed how much Tsuna's family cared for their boss, even though Tsuna wasn't think that way at all.

"I understand now. I can leave Tsuna to you guys. Well, Nike and I will be leaving now."

"Huh? Already?" Tsuna asked.

"I'm busy with my boss work, too," Dino explained, while Nike scratched Enzio's head, the turtle enjoying her attention.

When Dino and Nike walked out of Tsuna's room, Tsuna followed them.

"Dino-san?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you decide to become a boss?" Tsuna asked him. Nike heard his question and walked ahead, though she could still hear him.

But Dino stopped and smiled. "It's because I care for my family."

"Eh?"

"I thought that, if I could, I should protect them. You're the same, right?"

Tsuna thought about his words for a while, only being brought back to reality when Dino fell down the stairs, even managing to fall past Nike. Now Tsuna slipped, and fell after him, also past Nike.

Nike gaped after them. "These guys are hopeless…"

~~~Sometime Later~~~

Nike couldn't help it. Back in the hotel they were staying in, she started wondering why her nightmare from last night had been interrupted so suddenly again. Not like she minded, but it was still strange.

"What's wrong?" Dino asked her, noticing her furrowed eyebrows.

"Nothing. Just wondering why my nightmare stopped last night. It was really sudden, you know?"

Dino turned away from her immediately, his eyebrows twitching uncomfortable and nervously.

"W-Who knows?"

He'd never tell her the reason.

It was his own little secret.

* * *

><p>Whew… Hope you liked it ;D<p>

But now I really wanna ask you guys something. I got a few emails asking me if I could include.. let's say something "more sexy" xD If you want me to, I could (in later chapters), as longs as it still qualifies as "M rating" .

I actually planned to change the rating to M anyway, cuz of violence, language.. etc. (especially for later chapters)

Love all of you and thanks you very much for your kind reviews! Next chapter is already under work! Stay well and see ya next time :D


	11. Snowy Winter and Chaotic Minds

Hello there! Hah, did you think I dropped this story? No way in hell that I would! I'm sorry for the waaaay too long hiatus, but I broke my wrist… seriously Dino must have had some influence on me… I fell down the stairs so "elegantly"… *ahhm* Anyway, here is the chapter that I tried to finish for like 3 month or something? There will be just a few episodes of the Daily Life Arc, since I guess most of you would be happier if I'd start with the Varia Arc as soon as possible^^

So anyway, I'm sorry again, thank you for reading this chapter even if you want to strangle me and I hope you enjoy it^^ Also sorry for any mistakes.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KHR, just my Ocs.

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 11 <strong>

~Snowy Winter and Chaotic Minds~

"….Over my dead body." Crossing her arms, Nike looked at the young mafia boss calmly, yet her eyes began to narrow. "You're seriously asking me to go out? _Now_?"She jerked her thumb slowly over her shoulder as she still looked at him, pointing at the closed window. It was snowing outside, and the temperatures had been really low for a few days now. And if there was a season she hated, then it was winter. Snow was just something Nike couldn't be friends with; just like with syringes, or laboratories.

It was like this ever since her childhood. Nothing good came of it whenever one of those things showed up in her life.

Dino just scratched the back of his head clueless upon noticing that Nike really had no intention of backing down, like usual. Then he responded:

"C'mon. It'll be fun! The weather is way too nice to stay indoors today," he tried to persuade the young soldier enthusiastically. But it was no use. She looked at him as if he was making silly jokes.

"_Nice _weather? It's winter. And it's snowing."

He shrugged with a smile. "So? Don't tell me you never played with snow when you were younger?" Then he bit his lip. Of course she didn't. Since Nike had been a soldier for most of her life, he knew that she never had a real childhood.

Simply letting out a sigh, Nike collapsed into the chair perched behind the desk in the corner of the room, swung her legs up, and propped them on the desk in the position she affectionately called the 'old hag-bastard position' whenever Rika made herself comfortable the same way. Then she threw the magazine that laid on the desk over her face to cover it for a nap.

"Go, have fun. I'll just sleep until the winter is over," she told him while lazily waving him goodbye.

Dino shook his head and walked over to her, snatching the magazine to look at her. "You can't be serious?"

Nike opened one eye. "Dino, what you call 'playing with snow' or 'winter' is a diving exercise in the Antarctica for me. Also, I'd have to spend the day with Reborn and those brats."

Dino had to chuckle, then looked at her with a certain smile that Nike couldn't help but be charmed with. And he knew that. A crooked smile, charming, somehow sexy, with a bit of sly- and mischievousness to it. When Dino started to ruffle her hair on top of that, he managed to spin her around his little finger in no time.

Nike groaned and threw her arms up. "Okay, okay! I give up! Just give me 10 minutes." With the tingly feeling that was harder to suppress every time she got it, and annoyed at herself for giving in, she got up and walked to the door. With a smile and a short laugh, he put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked after her.

"Then I'll see you downstairs in 10 minutes."

**…**

"Huh!? What's everybody doing here?" Tsuna asked while gaping at his friends, Dino and Nike. He would have never thought to see them at Namimori Middle School in the middle of a Sunday morning. Especially not with such low temperatures.

"We were waiting for you," Dino answered and Reborn told Tsuna after that: "They called us out today."

"Nope, I was dragged out," Nike commented dryly and ignored any reaction she triggered. Her eyes fell on Lambo, I-Pin and the boy named Fuuta, also knows as Ranking Fuuta, that were about to build a snowman as she rubbed her hands to warm them.

"If you think about it, the 10th is always taking care of the kids," Gokudera told Tsuna as Nike's ears got back to their conversation.

"At least on a day like this, we could give you a hand," Yamamoto agreed. Tsuna seemed to be amazed how nice his friends were.

Yet it wasn't quite like Tsuna thought…

The atmosphere suddenly heated up as Gokudera said:

"If we do something, it should definitely be a snowball fight!"

"Oh! That sounds exciting!" Yamamoto grinned.

"Fight! Music to my ears!" Tsuna's upperclassman Ryohei Sasagawa said, almost screamed excited. He had always been more on the extreme side how it seemed…

And now even Dino was joining in. "All right! One packed snowball coming right now!"

"… Brats…" Nike mumbled as the others, excluding Tsuna and her, already prepared for the snowball fight.

"Okay, we have to divide into two teams," Yamamoto said, and Reborn interrupted like always, this time wearing a samurai costume: "I have already decided for you!" Then he explained: "I put a lot of thoughts into making sure the teams are balanced and had to stay up all night." While pointing at his eyes, he added: "I didn't get much sleep. Look at my eye bags."

"What's with you making me feel guilty!?" Tsuna shouted at him. Nike meanwhile turned her head away slowly, already having a bad feeling.

"What are you planning now, huh?" she asked Reborn warily and crossed her arms.

"Hoho~ You'll see~" he answered.

However, besides her and Tsuna, everyone seemed to be completely fine with Reborn deciding the teams. Even Dino's reason for playing along was the same as always; because Reborn wouldn't listen to them anyway.

Then the home tutor announced the teams.

The first one was Tsuna, Fuuta, Yamamoto and I-Pin, while the other team consisted of Dino, Nike, Gokudera, Sasagawa and Lambo. Especially Gokudera complained, being not on the same team as Tsuna. But knowing Reborn, he simply shrugged it off with a simple lie.

Then he explained the rules. Both teams had 30 minutes to fight for Leon who had transformed into a ball. Whoever managed to hold Leon after the time passed was the winner.

"It doesn't matter how often you're hit with a snowball, but you're out if you lose consciousness," Reborn continued. Everyone agreed and even Dino seemed like a kid when they started preparing snowballs for the fight; at least Nike thought so. Quite amused at that.

And then the mess already started before they started playing. Lambo fell asleep in the middle of the now, which made even Nike almost get frostbite, and Gokudera angry. Tsuna was so nervous that he started shaking, and Ryohei was so heated up that he ran out of hiding without a snowball right after Reborn gave the signal to start.

Yamamoto used his chance and threw a snowball at the over-excited boxer, but Ryohei simply hit it. His fist was so fast, that eyes could barely follow. While Ryohei was still under bombardment, Dino picked up a snowball."Sorry but you can't have Leon!" he said and threw it.

But because his subordinates weren't there he threw it into another direction by accident. He would have hit Nike if it wasn't for her reflexes to move her head to the side. Unfortunately, that caused the snowball to meet Gokudera's face.

"Watch where you're aiming at, idiot!" he shouted.

Nike looked at him in disbelief. "Oh man…"

After some more time of meaningless thrown snowballs, I-Pin's attempts to help that resulted Ryohei going down, and Gokudera switching sides, someone else appeared, hidden inside the barriers the teams had build with snow. "Protect the Boss!"

Nike recognized the voices immediately upon turning her head to look what was going on.

Tsuna's jaw dropped after he saw what was happening as well. "Dino-san's subordinates?"

Dino looked at Romario, Ivan and Bono quite puzzled as well. "How long have you guys been hiding!?"

"We don't know. But it was so cold!" Romario said as his teeth cloaked together.

"And the judge is okay with this chaos?" Tsuna asked Reborn in anger and disbelief as he pointed at the messy battlefield.

"Yup, it's just as I predicted," Reborn answered casually. Nike wanted to bang her head somewhere. "This is ridiculous…."

Within the next seconds, Gokudera started to throw bombs. Since Dino's subordinates had arrived, however, he deflected them easily with his whip.

"… And that's really a snowball fight? Looks more like a fight _on_ snow," Nike wondered and grimaced, her elbows resting on her knees.

Tsuna seemed to had noticed the same thing and started to panic, while Nike felt someone's presence that was covered with snow behind her. Without making much of an effort to move, she simply looked over her shoulder, her head resting lazily in her palm. "Just who the..?"

Suddenly a girl with rose-coloured hair appeared out of the snow, a mask covering her eyes. She wanted to grab Nike by her collar, which she prevented and said threatening "Join my team."

Nike first looked calm, then changed her expression to puzzled, until she was simply looked irritated. She didn't bother to say anything than a bored: "No way."

With a simply shrug, the girl disappeared. "Okay."

Nike gaped after her. _"She just leaves after trying to _threat_ me?" _Then her thoughts were interrupted when Dino was about to take Leon with ease, if it wasn't for someone else that interfered, Lambo and I-Pin at that someone's side.

"What are you doing here, Bianchi?" Tsuna asked, not pleased that they were more weirdos showing up.

"So that's the Poison Scorpion," Nike asked to herself after hearing her name. It was the girl from before. Dino had heard her.

"Yeah." A shudder went down his back. "She tried to kill me a few times with her food when Reborn was still my tutor …"

"So it's another weirdo," Nike snorted.

Then Bianchi answered Tsuna with a glare. "Do you understand the feeling of those not invited to play?"

Tsuna ruffled his hair in frustration. "What, you're sulking!? And why are the kids on her side?" he wondered.

"It was pure threatening," Bianchi simply answered.

"Man, she's scary!" Dino and Tsuna said in awe.

"Nope, she's just a psycho," Nike remarked casually.

"She said that so calmly!" Tsuna shuddered after hearing Nike.

It wasn't for long that the snow fight was out of control; even more than it was before. Now that Bianchi had started throwing her poison cooking in form of balls, and Leon started to move around thanks to a pair of wheels, everyone started running around and it started to be really difficult to tell who was leading.

Just a moment later, the first of Dino's subordinates fell unconscious after receiving a direct blow with Bianchi's poison cooking, the second one plus Lambo after Gokudera charged another attack with his bombs. When the others were under attack of poison cooking and snowballs too, Fuuta suddenly started to do his rankings.

"I can't hold back anymore! Since everyone is here, I just have to get everyone's rankings," he said and the snow that surrounded him started floating, creating a defensive wall around him. While Fuuta then started gathering rankings about speed, firepower and other things, Yamamoto saw Leon hurrying up the stair-rail that lead the school's roof.

Dino saw his chance and hurried past the others. "Well then, I'm going ahead!" he said confidently and started running, Romario rooting for him.

"We count on you, Boss!"

"Ah, he got ahead of us!" Tsuna observed nervously.

Yamamoto however, calmed him down. "Don't worry, Tsuna. Leave it to me!" he said and ran after Dino.

"Wow! A personal battle between Yamamoto and Dino-san!" Tsuna said in amazement.

Nike watched everything with boredom meanwhile, not moving from her spot for a second. She predicted what was about to happen after seeing Romario stayed behind.

Knowing Dino, he would fail, in a cute, but clumsy way that only he could manage. Just as she finished thinking about the possibilities how he would come down the stairs, they were surpassed by all meanings.

Dino came down the stairs faster than he had gotten up…

Actually, he rolled down the stairs, encased in snow, only his head sticking out of the rolling snowball.

"I missed it!" Dino shouted.

Nike gaped at him. "What the hell could you have missed to make this happen?"Then she shook her head. "This is the weirdest battlefield I've ever seen..."

And so, Nike retired due to laziness...

When the snowball finally reached the end of the stairs, Dino fell on top of Yamanto. Now both were trapped inside the massive amount of snow, though they were still laughing about the incident.

"Sorry!" Dino apologized, still in a really good mood.

"Can't be helped," Yamamoto laughed.

But now Bianchi saw her chance. Together with Lambo and I-Pin she tried to go after Leon. "Let's go! The only one left are Tsuna, Hayato, Fuuta and Romario!"

"I wouldn't be so sure. I seem to have dropped someone on the snow that had been melted by dynamite explosions," Dino told her. At the same time Bianchi noticed what Dino meant by that as she saw Enzo crawling in the puddle. Only a second later, Enzo already grew as big as a house.

While Gokudera stood shocked next to Fuuta, said boy started ranking again. "Wow. From all 202,126 animals I have seen, its size puts it at the top list!"

"Stop doing that and start praying!" Gokudera yelled at him. When he turned his head, he saw his sister Bianchi running over to him. She took her glasses of and shouted worried:

"Run a way, Hayato!"

Unfortunately, Gokudera would get a stomach-ache every time he saw his sister's face…

And so, Gokudera retired from the battle due to loss of consciousness…

However. Suddenly, Enzo was quiet. He had fallen asleep. Turning her right hand into a fist, Nike hit it into her left palm like she had noticed something, though it happened in a very monotone manner.

"Oh, it's the hibernation season..."

Nike simply had time to shrug, already starting to roll Dino and Yamamoto out of the way as Enzo fell over, burying Bianchi, I-Pin, Fuuta and Romario beneath him.

Now Nike turned to Dino and her attention away from the others, a knowing and lightly sly expression on her soft-featured face.

"And t_hat's_ what you call a snowball fight?" Her voice had something mockingly amused.

He smiled a bit sheepishly. "Well, that's what Reborn calls a snowball fight…"

She eyed him and the snow that covered him. "Every snowman would be proud of you," she said with slight mock and a grin as she started poking his cheek.

"Are enjoying this?" Dino asked her.

She nodded cheekily. "Can't complain."

With this, Tsuna got his chance to catch Leon. He tripped before being able to do so, though. When the Vongola 10th looked up, he noticed that someone else had managed to catch Leon. It was a boy with black hair, his jacket hanging loosely down his shoulders.

"What's this? And that big turtle?" he asked coldly, but with hinted arrogance.

"Hibari-san!" Tsuna seemed to know him. "Why are you here on a Sunday?"

"It snowed so I was thinking of a snowball fight," he answered curtly. "Though I just want to hit a bunch of targets."

_"How come this person doesn't get arrested?" _Tsuna thought in shock. Only moments later, it seemed like the Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee-leader was making Tsuna his target, but changed his mind within seconds again and left just like that.

"I-I'm saved!" Tsuna gasped relieved, at least until he noticed that I-Pin stood completely dazed next to him, her eyes heart-shaped.

"What is going on?" Nike asked herself silently as she started paying attention to what was happening again. Tsuna was running around like a flushed chicken, I-Pin in his hands.

"No way! I-Pin's in love with Hibari-san! Ah! She's going to explode!" The moments he sad it, she did.

And so, Reborn was the winner as Tsuna retired due to missing in action…

**…**

After the snowball fight, Nike, Dino and his subordinates were on their way back to the hotel they were staying in. After reaching it, they noticed that the well in the middle of the driveway seemed to be lacking. End of the story was that the whole inner courtyard was covered with a thick icesheet.

When Dino and Nike stepped out of the car, he suddenly turned to her and asked in a really good mood, looking like he had an idea: "Do you know how to ice-skate?"

"Why am I hesitating to answer that question?" Nike asked jokingly back.

"You should try it," Dino said and titled his head with a grin.

"You're the boss," she answered with a tone that showed she was making fun of him.

When they reached the accidentally made icesheet, Dino slid onto it and tried to keep his balance with is arms. When he stopped, he turned around to face Nike who still simply watched him, and waved at her.

"C'mon! Don't tell me our little-miss is scared of some ice?" he called over to her with a slightly teasing smile.

Nike started grinning and crossed her arms defiantly. "Just wait and see!" She couldn't just ignore that. For her, that almost sounded like a challenge. Just like her name suggested, she really hated losing and couldn't ignore it, no matter if joke or not.

Stepping forward, Nike eyed the ice and looked like a cat that was forced to jump into a puddle as she tried to step onto it. But then she did and jumped onto the icesheet.

"Heh, that was easy," she said with a confident tone. However the second she had said it, her feet slid away under her and she fell backwards. Dumfounded, she sat there, her hoodie of her jacket fallen over her face and the white, fake fur attached on its edge minimizing her sight. Her expression changed into an annoyed one.

Meanwhile Dino watched her. After noticing she wasn't hurt, he couldn't hold back anymore and started laughing. Nike jerked her head up to look at him.

"That's not funny," she grumbled. Now determined, Nike decided to stand up again. Trying to support herself with her hands, Nike adjusted her feet, but it was no use. Once again, her feet found no support on the ice, neither her hands did, and she fell flat on her stomach.

"What the heck-!" she brought out with gritted teeth. That game continued for about 2 minutes until she finally managed to stand up again, still feeling like she had legs of jelly.

"'Ice-skating is fun'…Yeah, sure.." Nike muttered sarcastically. There was no way she would be giving up! The moment she tried to bring her leg forward, she slipped again and almost fell down once more. Dino noticed it early enough this time and grabbed her arms to stabilize her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, trying to hold in his laugher. With her right hand, she swatted him on his shoulder, which didn't hurt him at all.

"Don't laugh…" Nike started pouting and turned her head away. Dino bit his lip not to start laughing again. She puffed out her cheeks whenever she was sulking. She looked like a little kid. Nike realized his attempts not to laugh and narrowed her eyes at him, still not noticing her own habit.

When seeing her sullen, but still cute expression, that was crowned with the fur of the jacket reaching into her face, he suddenly bursted out amusedly:

"You look like an aggressive hamster."

"What!?" Nike started hitting him again, even more so after hearing Romario and Ivan, who watched them from the cars, started laughing as well.

Dino calmed down again and clapped his hands together in an apologetic matter with a sheepish grin. "Forgive me, please?"

Nike eyed him warily with a raised eyebrow, then turned her head away: "At least I'm never falling down any stairs," she mumbled teasingly.

"Hey!" Dino protested.

Nike chortled shortly after seeing his reaction. "See? Leave the teasing to me."

"You…" Dino gave up and sighed. "Okay, okay, you win." Making sure she stood safely this time, Dino let go of her and started chuckling. "I don't think ice-skating is the right sport for you."

"Can't do anything about it. The winter just hates me." Then she added with an assuring nod: "That includes all winter sports."

"Well then, I'll just have to teach you," he told her after a short silence of thinking and winked at her. Her expression changed into an amused one.

"You? Teach _me_ something? Now that's a nice joke," she teased him playfully, but almost fell again if it wasn't for Dino holding her arms another time.

"And?" Dino grinned knowingly, and held out his hands for her to take.

"Yeah, yeah, fine, teach me," Nike responded with a 'hmpf' and put her hands into his, but not before making sure Romario and Ivan were still in sight.

Better safe than sorry.

"Ah!" Dino made a sound as if he remembered something.

"Huh?"

"I forgot something."

"What do you mean?" Nike asked as Dino started to pull on his black scarf. With a swift motion, he adjusted it around Nike's neck.

Puzzled, her eyes widened. "Eh?"

He smiled warmly "You're pretty sensitive to the cold, right?" Pointing at her numb hands, he added: "I couldn't see you freeze any longer."

Nike didn't know what to say and felt somehow embarrassed looking at him as she noticed her cheeks colouring. Not wanting him to see it, she pulled the scarf over her mouth and nose and looked to the side. "T-Thank you," she mumbled, trying to hide her embarrassment she could hit herself for.

"_Argh! Idiot, what's wrong with me? So stupid getting embarrassed!" _she thought, more frantic than she would show.

Dino however noticed it and chuckled softly. He knew that she usually was honest with others in a _very_ blunt way, but never honest when it came to herself. She was simply bad at showing feelings.

"Now, should we start?" Dino asked friendly and reached his hands out for her to take.

When their hands touched, a shudder ran through both of their bodies; a warm, tingly feeling. But while Nike did her best to ignore it, shutting her eyes tight for a second, Dino didn't. He looked embarrassed away from her a few moments, then glanced back. "Ahem…"

"Yeah?" Nike payed attention to him again, even though it felt strangely hard to look into his eyes. Dino tried his best to concentrate on teaching her to move rather than staring at her.

"Just move slowly. I won't let you fall down," he told her calmly. It was unbelievable how much his voice calmed her down. Nike breathed in and slid one foot forward whenever he slid back with one.

"See? It's easy, right?" he smiled. Nike nodded a bit embarrassed and her chest began to tighten as she studied his expression. When her chest tightened even more, her heartbeat rose so much that she could hear it drumming in her ear. Heat coloured her cheeks from the inside out, and a warm and happy feeling filled her before she suddenly became serious and somehow, insecure all at once.

"_If I knew what this feeling is, would it be a good thing?" _she thought and looked at her hands that still laid in his. Distracted as she was, Nike didn't notice the little rock on the ice and tripped. Dino reacted within a second, stopped, and pulled her hands to the height of his shoulders, making Nike fall with her face first into his chest instead of meeting the ground.

It took Nike a few seconds to realize what happened. Her face was still buried in his chest and noticed Dino's lightly heavy breathing.

"Woah, that scared me. So I'm not the only one that's tripping sometimes after all, huh?" he laughed, but Nike was silent and didn't move. Her heart beat even faster. It was the only thing she could pay attention to, along with the fact that Dino was really close to her. Her mind was just a mess; so much that she couldn't even order one of her thoughts.

"Nike?" Dino asked with a worried tone. Her head flew up and her eyes shone at him widely, filled with shock.

_...Somewhere deep down, Nike had realized something..._

_...Something that would not only change her, but also her whole situation..._

_...And so, her subconsciousness already began to deny the truth…_

"What's wrong?" Dino asked and sounded even more worried. Knowing he was, Nike shook her head, trying to shake of her chaotic thoughts.

"Nothing."

Dino looked clueless. He knew something was wrong, but just couldn't tell what. To make her at least feel better, he held her hands up one more time and dived through them, turning around after. Now he felt her against his back, her arms past him and her hands still in his. Then he led her hands to his shoulders and pulled her up on his back.

"What are you doing?" Nike brought out in surprise, suddenly finding herself piggyback.

"I just thought it's faster this way," Dino simply answered and started moving on the ice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nike asked and wrapped her arms around his neck to headlock him. "I told you the teasing is my job," she added and lightly pulled on his right cheek.

"Is that so?" he responded cheerfully.

"Oh man you're such an idiot…." Nike mumbled jokingly.

"What?" he asked faked indignant. Both then noticed that they were quarrelling like kids. Nike snorted and stared laughing as he started as well.

Meanwhile Romario and Ivan watched them puzzled. "What are they doing?" Ivan laughed.

Romario smiled. "I don't know but I've never seen the Boss having that expression."

"True. He looks very happy," Ivan agreed. His eyes widened. "Could it be…?"

Romario started grinning. "Yeah, I think so too." He smiled after observing Dino and Nike further. Nike was laughing like she only did when Dino was around. She didn't look like she had seen war; she looked like a happy, normal girl, and smiled like one as well. And Dino, Dino wore the gentlest smile his right-hand man had ever seen on him. Seeing his Boss' loving, affectionate expression that he only had when Nike was around made one realize he was with someone very special to him.

Romario let out a heavy, satisfied sigh.

"That's gotta be love."

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it took me way too long to update; I'm sorry. Hopefully it's at least a bit satisfying xD Anyway, I guess that there will only be another chapter before the Varia Arc starts! Hope you don't mind that^^<p>

**Note**: I finally decided that the rating will change to "M" if the Varia Arc turns out like I think it will (also, the following arcs...) I musn't forget how I wanted to picture Genesis after all... sorry about that

Anyway, hope to see you soon and that you hug me review button! He didn't get any love in so long xD

With that said; see you again to the EXTREME! :D


	12. June Bride and Realization

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides my OCs.

And so...! For the sake of the Valentine's Day, I present:

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 12<strong>

**~June Bride and Realization~**

Two pairs of eyes, one amber- and one Blue Bell coloured, stared at the wedding invitation on Dino's desk.

"I don't believe this. Could you pinch me?" Dino said, still looking at the paper. Nike didn't hesitate and pinched his cheek without looking at him.

"Hey! That hurts!" he whined and rubbed his red cheek.

"What? You wanted me to," she answered absentmindedly. "Moreover, what the heck is going on here?" She pointed at the pink invitation card.

"I can't believe this, either…." Dino agreed thoughtfully and read aloud: "Reborn and Bianchi. Wedding invitation."

"The sound of that alone makes me wanna run away," Nike mumbled and had the feeling that her face turned green. "Those two marrying should be illegal."

Though Dino would have liked to agree with the small girl, he decided to pick up the phone on his table. "I'll call Reborn to congratulate him anyway." Nike looked over his shoulder while sitting on the armrest of his chair. When he held the phone next to his ear, Dino made a move with his hand that told Nike she could come closer if she wanted to. Understanding what he meant, she held her ear against the other side of the Phone.

When Reborn picked up, Dino congratulated him, but the Acobaleno's answer was similar to what both had expected.

"I haven't heard about any wedding. Although Bianchi was in a really good mood after I woke up from my nap yesterday."

After finishing his call, Dino looked at Nike, who frowned at the invitation. "I bet this is one of his stupid plans again," Nike huffed and leaned back.

"I guess so." Dino thought about it for a while, then stood up and called Romario. Nike realized immediately what he was about to do, and climbed with her knees on the armrest, then grabbed the black collar of Dino's shirt. Her unique blue bell-coloured eyes almost pierced through his gentle amber ones. Her face darkened as she faked a smile that scared the young mafia boss more than anything.

"You don't actually think of going there, do you?"

Dino hesitated nervously. "We can't just not go, can we?"

Nike, seeing his expression, realizing he was serious, let go of him and dropped her head in a defeated manner. "Just great…"

_- In a hotel in Japan, a few days later -_

"What is that," Nike asked suspiciously and pointed at the light purple piece of cloth that Romario put on her bed.

Romario stiffened before turning around. "That is a dress the boss picked out for you. For the wedding…" When he saw that Nike started grimacing, he gulped.

"I told him I'd just be going in jeans. Can't he listen to me just once?" she grumbled annoyed and jumped up from the chair she had been sitting on.

"Yep, I listened but decided that I would do what I want to, anyway," Dino grinned as he entered after knocking shortly on Nike's door. Nike's head shot around. She noticed that her face stared burning and hoped it wouldn't turn red. He was wearing a _really_ nice fitting suit that encouraged his slim, but muscular build.

"And I never listen to you to begin with. So: I won't wear a dress. Never. I'd rather drop dead," she responded, trying to look away from him.

He just laughed. "Oh, c'mon! I bet it'll suit you."

"Weapons suit me to, that doesn't mean I'm always carrying them around with me," she sighed. He stepped closer and a crooked smile appeared on his lips. He ruffled her hair.

"For me? Please?"

Something in Nike's head send an error warning. Upon seeing his smile and feeling his hand, her mouth just moved on its own. He had wrapped her around his little finger again. "… You win! Just get out already!" she said and shoved him and Romario out of her room. "And don't peek!"

"I wouldn't…!" he tried to say, but the door was already closed. Romario started laughing at his boss' blushing face.

"Just what are you imagining now?" he asked teasingly. Dino jerked his head around, feeling caught.

"I didn't think of anything!" he protested, even turning redder. Romario continued laughing.

"So the Boss is in love with Miss Nike after all!"

"Geez! Get lost already…" Dino said and shooed him away slightly annoyed, but also embarrassed.

"Yeah, sure," Romario answered with a smirk and went down the hallway.

_"Oh __man__… __Stupid Romario_.." Dino thought embarrassed. His face was probably redder than he himself wanted to admit. How often had his subordinates teased him by now, anyway?

He ruffled his hair in frustration. "Ahhh! Think of something else, idiot!"

And just when he barely managed to think of something else, Nike opened the door again. His breath stopped for a few seconds. The light purple, strapless dress that adored her slim waist with a belt of a darker purple colour. The length was just right; it stopped above her knees and fell in soft wrinkles.

"I look like an idiot." Nike's facial expression told Dino she was annoyed at herself. He, however, was fascinated.

"I think…" he started, but stopped, looking down at her again.

"What?" Nike asked and raised an eyebrow.

"That you look beautiful," he finished and breathed out. Nike couldn't hold it anymore; her face turned red.

"Wha..! What!?"

"Ah… I.." he stuttered embarrassed. "I mean, just like I said; it really suits you."

Nike looked at the ground. "Thanks…" she muttered. Dino put his tattooed hand awkwardly on his neck. "Shall we go then?" he asked after clearing his throat.

"Hmm…" Nike just nodded. Her heartbeat was way too loud, and even her inner voice that wanted to shout couldn't calm it….

- Later -

"I told you! I told you this was just one of his pranks…" Nike sighed. Dino just slapped his forehead.

"Yeah, I knew he had something in mind too… but that's just…"

Apparently, Nike and Dino had arrived at the church. Everyone had gathered. The only one missing… was the groom.

When Nike looked to the side, she saw someone entering Reborn's preparation room. She tugged lightly at Dino's sleeve. When he looked at her, she pointed at the door that said person had just closed.

Inside the room, Tsuna couldn't believe his eyes. Reborn was wearing a white suit. "Wow" Like they say: 'fine clothes make the man!'. Why didn't you tell me that you're getting married?" But Reborn didn't respond and was just standing on the red chair in the corner of the room.

"Reborn!" Tsuna said and grabbed his arm… that tore off the moment he pulled lightly on it.

The room was filled with silence until Tsuna started to panic. "It came off!"

That very moment, the door flew open and Dino and Nike came running, Nike having problems to stand in her high heels that were matching her belt. She cursed under her breath.

"Who's there!?" Dino asked and breathed out upon seeing Tsuna. "Oh, it's Tsuna."

"Dino-san! Nike-san! Reborn's arm!" Tsuna still seemed frantic.

"Ah… it's all right. This is a doll," Dino responded and put 'Reborn's' arm back.

"But where is Reborn?" Tsuna asked.

Dino sighed. "Not here."

"Not here?" Tsuna repeated slowly.

Nike clicked her tongue. "Yep, that bastard probably ran."

"He ran!?"

"Yeah," Dino said and told Tsuna that they had called him to congratulate him. "He probably agreed while he was napping. I'm pretty sure that's what actually happened."

"Then, this is all Bianchi's misunderstanding?" Tsuna couldn't believe it. "And if she finds out that Reborn ran away…" Tsuna ruffled his hair in frustration.

"She'll snap… Who knows what she'll do," Dino agreed nervously. "Same thing would happen if we cancelled everything."

"I bet Reborn knew that and left this doll behind. That's all just part of his plan… Little freak," Nike mumbled.

"His substitute!?" Tsuna had enough. "Everyone will know it's just a doll!" Then suddenly, the doll started moving and pointed a gun at Tsuna.

"You want to go into Dying Will?" Seeing Tsuna panic, along with noticing that Nike's eyes had widened for a second, Dino started laughing and threw his head in his neck.

"You were tricked! It's really well made." Nike looked at Dino and saw him bringing out a remote control for the doll.

He explained that it was a doll made with Vongola's top-of-the-line technology. Seemingly a little proud, Dino pushed a button on the remote control and the doll started moving, also saying: "Ciaossu!"

Tsuna was suspicious after hearing it was made by Vongola member. His worries weren't without any reasons.

"My subordinates are looking for the real Reborn," Dino tried to calm him down. "We'll just have to count on this doll for now."

Nike however couldn't help but think that this day would be even more trouble than she had already expected…

And so, Dino, Nike and Tsuna were later sitting at the same table. They were relived no one had noticed Reborn being a doll for now. Tsuna tried to distract himself and started talking with Gokudera.

"Oh right, Gokudera-kun… are you okay? Bianchi's here after all."

"Relax tenth!" Gokudera turned to the waiter. "I can't see anything because I'm wearing sunglasses." Tsuna gaped at him in return. "Who is the talking to…?"

Meanwhile, Nike watched Dino fumbling around with the remote controller. "Are you sure this is gonna work out?" she asked bored and leaned over to him.

"Well, at least nobody noticed that Reborn isn't here yet," he answered with a big grin.

But just as Nike had predicted, nothing would go as smoothly as they had hoped. Bianchi, wanting to clink glasses with Reborn, gave him some champagne… which obviously wasn't a good idea. The doll went out of control and jumped into the aquarium where Yamamoto's father kept the fish that was there for the sushi he wanted to make.

"Where is Reborn!?" Bianchi shouted angrily and scared the wedding guest as she took out two guns.

Tsuna and Dino were immediately there to calm her down. "What are you talking about, Bianchi? Look, it's Reborn!" Tsuna assured her nervously, pointing at the doll.

"This is a wedding reception! Even he would be nervous!" Dino agreed.

"Hmm?" Bianchi glared at them for a second, making Tsuna flinch in horror. _"Oh no! We couldn't trick her!"_ he thought agitated. As soon as he thought that, Bianchi dropped her guns and hugged the doll with a blush, pressing her face into the doll. "You're right. I didn't consider his feeling. Forgive me Reborn."  
>Seeing the bride's lovesickness, Nike looked at the table she was sitting at, her head resting lazily in her hands.<p>

_"If I start __banging__ my head against __the table now__, how long would it take until my skull cracks?"_

Lucky for Nike - or the table- the announcement that groom and bride would take a short break to change could be heard.

Back in Reborn's changing room, everyone looked tired. Tsuna was looking at the doll, while Dino simply leaned at a commode, holding the controller for the doll, Nike standing beside him.

"I thought we were done for," Tsuna sighed.

"At least this farce would be over then," Nike commented annoyed under her breath.

"Yeah and so would be our lives if the Poison Scorpion finds out," Dino retorted after hearing her. Then a shiver went down his spine. "I don't wanna get involved with her poison cooking anymore…"

"Okay, maybe she's better off with this doll than the original…" Nike started, but stopped before nodding to herself. "Yep, actually, everything's better than the original."

Dino eyed her with a wryly. "Geez… You…"

But before they could continue their conversation, Nike hear the door open.

"I knew it was a fake," Gokudera said as he entered the room with crossed arms. "You can trick my sister, but you can't fool me. I have good hearing. I thought it was weird when I heard motor noises."

"Gokudera-kun!" was the only thing Tsuna brought out. _"Everyone would be mad if their sister was marrying a robot."_ But Tsuna's thoughts were wrong. With a grin, Gokudera said happily:

"Let me help you guys, tenth! I bet my sister insisted on this on her own, so Reborn-san just left a replacement and left!"

"This guy's that weirdo's brother all right," Nike thought with hiked up eyebrows and shot Dino a glance, who was suddenly standing there without the doll's remote controller. Gokudera snarled at him. "Give it to me! This is my job as the tenth right-hand man!"

"Hey…! What are you doing?" Dino tried to argue, but it was no use.

"Ah, it's over. You're all dead now," Nike said casually, but with a slight mock in her voice. Dino looked at her in disbelief. "You're involved as well.

Nike started smirking. "I'm not so sure about that. I just need 0,3 seconds to jump out of the next window."  
>Dino sighed, but had to restrain himself from grinning. That very second, everyone heard a noise and Lambo looked with sparkling eyes at everyone.<p>

"Is that a toy? It is, isn't it?" he asked excited, referring to the remote control and promptly started arguing with Gokudera. He jumped at Gokudera and both started fighting over the controller. Accidently, both pushed various buttons and the doll started to move through the room, ran up the walls and started to use the chandelier as a swing while repeating 'Ciaossu' a couple of times.

Dino and Tsuna tried to calm them down, but Nike had already enough of them. She cracked her knuckles with a calm, but incredibly dark face. "Enough of this. Get outta the way and I'll render them unable to move for the next few days."

Dino waved his handy nervously, while Tsuna simply thought about running away. "C-Calm down!" Right after he said it, the doll suddenly jumped at Nike. She turned around, grabbed the doll and threw it against the next wall.

"Wah!" Dino made a shocked sound and looked at the doll, hoping it wasn't broken for good.  
>Tsuna's mind meanwhile simply went blank. <em>"<em>_…__ I__s this really okay?"_

And of course… it wasn't okay. At all.

When the wedding cake was presented, which was - of course - made by Bianchi, the doll went out of control once again, jumped into the cake and started moving uncontrollably again. Nike looked over her shoulder. Dino noticed it and followed her glance.

They found Lambo playing with the controller, while Gokudera searched for it desperately. The search was aggravated since he couldn't see thanks to his sunglasses…

"Where's Reborn!?" Bianchi grabbed the doll and seemed even angrier than before. But before she could try to shoot someone, the doll suddenly spoke up. Nike had managed to grab the remote controller, kicking Lambo away, who flew into the buffet.

"This. Is. A. Test."

"Test!?" Bianchi's eyes widened.

"Yep, Reborn wanted to use the wedding to see how much you could put up with him," Dino explained. Nike put a hand around her mouth and leaned over to Dino until their arms touched. "Putting up with those two is impossible to begin with," Nike remarked deadpan while Bianchi pressed the Reborn doll at her chest again.

"You can relax! Something so miniscule is nothing before our love!"

Nike rolled her eyes. "Yeah, of course. We're just overcompensating..." Dino and Tsuna just sighed despairing. This day was already way too long.

Just a little later, there was another announcement. This time, bride and groom were supposed to light the candles on every table.

"I want to play some more!" Lambo said again with sparkling eyes as he looked at the remote in Gokudera hands.

"No! Because of you, we almost got busted!" Tsuna whispered harshly.

"Not Lambo-san's fault! The four eyes just sucks!" Lambo retorted and pointed at Gokudera, who immediately shot him a glare. "You idiot cow! I'm going to slaughter you!" Gokudera then jumped up and took off his sunglasses. To his surprise, not Lambo, but Bianchi stood in front of him.

_"They both suck,"_ Nike thought and blew bubbles into her orange juice with a straw, having a feeling what was about to happen.

Meanwhile Gokudera started sweating, then fell over with a green face. His stomach had started aching again. Unfortunately, the moment he fell over, he let go of the remote that flew through the room.

"Damn!" Dino jumped up to catch it. Nike jumped at her feet as well and tried to hold him back, but it was too late. Dino tripped over his own feet, and his face smashed the remote as soon as he met the ground.

"Dino-san's subordinates aren't here! I forgot!" Tsuna shouted panicking. Nike face palmed. "I should have stayed in bed…"

Then it happened. The doll exploded right within Bianchi's hands. Her whole body started shaking out of anger and she snapped. her whole body seemed to be surrounded by flames of anger.

"Not good! She lost her self-control!" Dino gasped, still lying on the ground. by now, Bianchi was so out of control, that she started her secret technique; everything she touched turned into poison cooking. The whole guests however, thought it was only show. Dino, Nike and Tsuna however, knew it better.

"Not good! At this rate the entire ceremony hall will become poison cooking!" Dino said and thought of a way to stop it. But that very moment, Nike hear a noise coming down the hall.

"Hold on!" Reborn appeared through the door. Or not. They were dozen of Reborn's surrounding the tables suddenly.

"What is going on!?" Tsuna's face fell. But before anyone knew what exactly was going on, the Reborn's spoke in union. "So… Can you find the real me?" they asked Bianchi.

"Eh?" Bianchi looked confused, while Nike started grimacing irritated. "This bastard…"

"If you love me, you'll find the real me!" they spoke in union again. Bianchi, though hesitating, looked determined.

"I know. I found you," she said and grabbed a Reborn.

"Bianchi…." the reborn in her hands started. "You failed." it finished before it's head fell off. It was just another doll.

"I'm over here!" the real Reborn suddenly said and revealed himself. He was sitting in a robot that looked like a waiter. "Ciaossu!"

"R-Reborn!" Tsuna stepped forward.

"You've got a lot to learn," Reborn said to Bianchi, who stared smiling and threw off the wedding dress she had borrowed from Nana Sawada. "I understand."

"What!? What will happen to the reception?" Tsuna ruffled his hair in frustration.

"It'll be okay. The main cast will just change," Reborn told him as Nana caught the dress. Just seconds later, the light was turned off and Iemitsu, Nan's husband, Tsuna's father and CEDEF's leader appeared.

Nana's eyes went big. "Dear!"

Nike's face just fell in disbelief. "Is this really how a real wedding should be like?" she asked Dino, still having the same expression.

"… I guess only if you know Reborn," he answered exhausted and dropped his head.

And so, the ceremony was completed once again. Dino and Nike later found out that Reborn had arranged all this for the sake of a photo of Nana's and Iemitsu's wedding that Lambo had ripped apart.

"Who would have thought that even he could be nice for once?" Nike said more to herself than Dino was standing next to her while everyone was having fun at the party.

"Well, he is not so bad after all," Dino shrugged with a light smile.

"You mean when he is not being busy being a jerk," she remarked. He looked at her, a grin appearing on his face. "C'mon, it wasn't that bad."

She retorted his look. "You're right. It wasn't that bad. But they could have left out the cooking and the robots." Both had to stifle a laugher. And while they were continuing with their conversation, they noticed that Tsuna walked up to them.

"Um, Dino-san... Nike-san… I wanted to apologize for all this trouble…" he said a bit awkwardly.

"You're not at fault," Dino laughed. Tsuna nodded relieved, but that feeling didn't last long. A moment later, a girl wearing a green dress threw her arms around his neck.

"Tsuna-san! Who is this lady!?" the girl with brown hair seemed to pout.

_"Another weirdo…"_ Nike thought, getting annoyed again.

"Haru!" Tsuna tried to free himself of her grip. "Let go!" The girl Tsuna had called Haru and looked up. The jealousy in her eyes disappeared the second as she saw that Dino and Nike standing close together, their arms touching.

"Hahi! My name is Haru Miura!" the girl said excited.

_"Hahi…?" _Nike repeated almost not audible and confused. "_Just what is up with the people surrounding that fake baby?"_

"Haru-chan?" Another girl appeared together with Bianchi. her hair was blond and kept rather short.

"Kyoko-chan! That must be Dino-san's girlfriend Tsuna-san's mother was talking about!" Haru said overly excited again.

"Really?" Kyoko's eyes sparkled. "Nice to meet you! I am Kyoko Sasagawa!" the girl introduced herself politely.

"Wha…? Just what the hell is going on?" Upon hearing 'girlfriend' Dino started blushing and Nike fought not to turn red herself. Both seemed to be confused and embarrassed.

"H-How am I supposed to know?" Dino answered stuttering, the colour of his face not fading.

"Couple? I didn't know the Bucking Horse already grew up to that extend," Bianchi remarked with a straight face. That was too much for Dino. He stuttered to an extend where nobody understood what he was actually saying anymore, His arms just flew around and his face seemed to take an even darker shade of red.

"So, when is the wedding?" Bianchi added. Nike had enough. Her heart was beating loudly, yet she tried not to show too much of a reaction. She pointed at Dino lazily.

"Who would marry _that_? This guy is a busybody and a worrywart."

"That!?" Dino gaped at her in disbelief. She crossed her arms and huffed. "Yeah I mean for example… I have a scratch and you already take out the first-aid kid."  
>"Scratch? You call your wounds scratches? Don't you think there is an awfully lot of blood coming out of those scratches?" Dino asked. Nike started grinning.<p>

"You'd say the same thing about a mosquito bite."

"You…" Dino gave up and sighed in a defeated manner. The others who eyed them suddenly laughed .

"How cute! They're shy!" Haru shouted with a big smile.

"Cute…" Nike felt like being hit with a rock. That word… was too much.

"Haru's right! But there's no need to be shy. Come on, let's talk about love," Bianchi said and pulled Haru, Kyoko and Nike along.

Nike looked horrified. "I don't wanna~!"

Dino sighed once again and looked after Nike, the place on his arm where they had touched still feeling hot. _"So she sees me that way, huh?"_ he thought with a sudden pain in his chest. Her words had hit him pretty hard.

"Boss?" Romario's voice suddenly appeared behind him. Dino snapped out of it and tried to change his expression. A pretty miserable try.

"You're back? Sorry for the trouble but Reborn was here after all."  
>"Ah, yes. We were contacted," Romario responded. "Are you all right Boss?" he had noticed his Boss' mood. "You don't look happy."<p>

When Dino turned around, Romario started laughing. "Don't tell me you're pouting because of what Miss Nike said?"

"..Shut up!" Dino mumbled annoyed. His expression showed clearly that he _was_ pouting.

"So you're in love with her after all?" Romario joked and hit him on the shoulder, then waited for a comment, a reaction. Usually he would shoo him away, or tell him to shut up. But not this time. Romario saw how Dino's expression turned into a calm one; a calm but somehow really sad one, resting on Nike who was still struggling against Bianchi.

"Boss?"

Dino was silent for another couple of seconds, until finally answering. He let out a sigh, as if he was trying to shake off the heavy feeling that overcame him.

"Seems that way."

…

Meanwhile Nike finally managed to get rid of Bianchi. All this love talk was getting in her nerves. Also, she had her mind elsewhere. She had started regretting the words she said to Dino.

_"But I knew I'd regret saying it. But… I had to.__ I have to fight this.__"_ Her thoughts wandered off as she touched her arm that had touched Dino's. The painful throbbing of her heart got worse the more she thought about him. She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

_"I don't want to trouble him! I don't want to leave... He would even be in danger because of me…!"_ Her whole chest now felt like it was being clenched together as she fought against the warm, yet incredibly painful feeling that welled up inside of her. She looked at Dino who was talking with Romario. Seeing him was enough to make her heart beat faster...

And with every beat, her feelings crept into her heart and squeezed it. She began to realize what those feelings actually _meant_.

But she knew... for his sake, she would have to deny them and one day, she would forget…

* * *

><p>For the sake of the Valentine's Day (That I probably "hate" as much as Nike does. Too many corny stuff xD) I uploaded this chapter. Hope I can start the Varia Arc (which would come next) soon. Exams. Are. Killing. Me. MEH *dies*<p> 


	13. Varia and Vongola Rings!

Finally, the Varia Arc starts! (And finally, I'm done with stupid exams. For now anyway... =.=)

Oh, some parts of this chapter are actually from one of the **light novels**. Took my time looking into it for you to include it :) Good thing I own them lol

Anyway, I apologize for mistakes, confusions etc. and that this chapter is a little shorter than the other ones! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Don't own KHR, just my OCs.

START!

* * *

><p><strong>Lost before Light 13<strong>

Varia Arc

~~~Varia and Vongola Rings!~~~

Romario hurried down the corridor with a concerned expression and was so much in thought that he even overlooked Nike as he passed her.

"Did something happen?" Nike asked, wondering about his behaviour. The right-hand man turned around immediately.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nike," he greeted her, then answered her question. "Well, actually it's about the 9th. I was on my way to the boss to explain everything. Why don't you come along?"

Nike nodded hesitatingly. "…Sure." When she followed him, she sighed. Ever since they returned from Japan, Nike tried to avoid Dino as much as she could afford to without seeming suspicious.

Her mind had been a mess since then and tried hard not to show it to anyone, especially Dino. But knowing him, she figured he had already noticed her odd behaviour.

As they arrived at Dino's office, Romario knocked.

"Boss?"

"Come in," Dino answered. Romario shoved the door open and both, he and Nike, entered.

"What's up?" Dino asked and glanced at Nike upon seeing she came along. "That's what I'd like to know," Nike answered and leaned against the wall next to the door. Meanwhile Romario eyed his boss, remembering that Dino had actually admitted that he was indeed in love with Nike.

Romario had asked him why he wouldn't confess back then.

But Dino had just laughed half-heartedly_. "I don't think it's the right time. __Maybe there will__ never be the right time… It would probably just trouble her."_

_"But Boss, I think it's pretty clear that Miss Nike __feels the__-"_ Romario had started, but Dino raised an arm and he fell silent.

_"Maybe she really __does__, but the situation seems to be pretty complicated. Seems li__k__e I'll have to hold back for now,"_ Dino had sighed disheartened.

Romario had to laugh shortly. _"Good luck with that, if you're pouting like that alre__ady."_

Finally, Dino's right-hand man snapped out of his thoughts. He had nearly forgotten what he wanted to say about the 9th…

"Boss, it seems like the 9th has fallen ill."

"What?" Dino got up. "Is he all right?" Romario shook his head.

"I don't know the details, but it seems like he won't let anybody visit him."

Dino rubbed over his chin and fell into deep thoughts. Nike, noticing he was worried, suddenly spoke up.

"Maybe you should just go visit him. I'm pretty sure he'll see you."

Dino looked up. "Maybe you're right." He walked around his desk. "Romario, could you prepare the car?"

"Sure," he answered and went out of the room. Then Dino turned to Nike again.

"Will you come with me?"

Nike's eyebrows hiked up. "Should I?"

Dino nodded, looking as if he was thinking of something. "Please do."

~~~Later~~~

Nike wanted to punch the guards in front of the 9th chamber. The Vongola Boss didn't even want to see Dino.

"Something's definitely off! What the hell is up with that old geezer?" Nike grumbled. Dino put his hand on her shoulder to soothe her.

"Well, they did say he recovered already."

"But he never refused to meet you before…" Nike argued, feeling a little guilty because she was the one that had suggested to go and meet the 9th.

Dino noticed what she was thinking and chuckled. "We'll just come back another day, don't think too much of it." But Nike just shot up an eyebrow.

"Liar. You want to calm me down when you actually know something's off as well."

Dino slumped his shoulders. He was busted. "Okay, okay, you're right. But we have no other choice but leave for now."

"We could also just bust his door," Nike suggested deadpan. Dino however knew that she was completely serious.

"Sometimes I really wonder how you come up with these kind of ideas…"

Nike just shrugged her shoulders with a light grin.

"I'm just that much of a genius," she commented jokingly.

They walked down the hallways until they reached the exit. When they then stepped into the garden outside the headquarters, it seemed like a young woman with blond hair and glasses waited for them.

"Huh?"

"Bucking Horse Dino?" she asked. The woman was part of CEDEF and named Oregano, at least of what Dino knew.

"Yeah?" Dino eyed her. Just was what up with that day? First the 9th refused to see him, now CEDEF?

"I have a message for you."

"A message?"

"Master Iemitsu wants to meet you," she answered him in a calm tone.

Nike's expression twisted when she heard that. She had heard that name before.

"Isn't that CEDEF's leader?" she whispered, her question going to Dino. He simply nodded with a serious expression while he slightly bend his upper body down to Nike; having the habit of doing so unconsciously.

"Un…" Then he looked at Oregano again. "So, where is he?"

"Please follow me," she said friendly and turned around. After Dino and Nike exchanged glances, they followed her.

**...**

_"__This is__ way too suspicious,"_ Nike thought and continued to mumble to herself as they arrived the port. "This is just weird…."

Dino, who was sitting next to her in the back seat, turned his head to face her before leaving the car. "I see it the same way. Something is going on in Vongola HQ. But as the Cavallone boss, I have to find out what exactly is going on."

"Yes, yes I know," Nike said and blew her shaggily cut hair out of her face. "I'm just getting the feeling that this will end in work… Something I wanted to avoid."

He chuckled. "I think that's a little bit too late now." Nike clicked her tongue. "I know. And that's bothering me even more."

After both got out of the car, Oregano lead them to an old warehouse. It looked like it wasn't being used anymore. Nike had the feeling that this 'message' Oregano had been talking about was more important than she had originally thought.

Upon entering the warehouse, Nike stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket and looked around, finding two men waiting for them. One of them was blond and about forty years old. Nike had seen him before; he was Iemitsu Sawada, the leader of CEDEF. The other seemed to be one of his subordinates, who later introduced himself as Turmeric.

"Ah, Dino! Long-time no see!" Iemitsu waved at Dino. After seeing him from afar at Vongola HQ sometimes, Nike assumed him to be some kind of happy-go-lucky person – a type she wasn't really good with.

"Yeah, that's true. Nice to see you again," Dino responded and shook his hand. Then Iemitsu turned to Nike with a big grin. "And you must be that girl from Genesis, right? What was your name again? Oh yeah – Nike right?"

Nike frowned. _"Noisy… too many question,"_ she thought. She looked away and didn't exactly hide her annoyance. "Call me whatever you want and now hurry and spit out what you want."

He roared with laughter and hit Dino friendly on his shoulder. "A defiant one, huh? I didn't know you were into that type." Dino blushed slightly annoyed while Nike just had the urge to bang his head into a wall.

"We're here because you wanted to tell me something." Dino tried to get back to the topic.

"Oh, you're right." Iemitsu's expression changed into a serious one. "We have reasons to worry."

Dino's face was solemn again. "What happened?"

That very moment, the door to the warehouse opened once more. Nike jumped around and found two people entering. Or rather one and a half…

The first one was a boy who was about fifteen, his eyes blue. At his side was an Infant who Nike recognized immediately. She was the former ace of the special unit Comsubin, Lal Mirch. As far as for Genesis' knowledge, she wasn't exactly an Arcobaleno, but a failed one. What that meant however, Rika had never further explained.

"Basil, Lal Mirch, do you have new information?" Iemitsu asked Lal and the boy.

"Master!" Basil ran up to him. "We have completed the reconnaissance. Just as we had expected, Varia is searching for you, master." The boy named Basil used a very formal speech, while Nike noticed that Lal send her a glare that she returned before turning away again.

Dino looked at Iemitsu with light shock. "Varia? Just what is going on?"

Iemitsu sighed, then answered: "Varia is probably after the Vongola Rings, especially the Half Vongola Rings that I hold onto." Then he brought out a little box and opened it. Inside, there were 7 rings, at least one half of them.

_"So that's what they look like," _Nike thought, having never seen them before. Meanwhile Dino looked troubled and very concerned.

"This is bad," he said and rubbed over his mouth with his hand.

"And that's not all. Xanxus is after the Vongola Boss position and Varia has already begun looking for the other boss candidate in Japan."

_"Xanxus? __The son of the 9__th__?"_ Nike thought.

"They're already in Japan!? Then they're after Tsuna! This is bad!" Now Dino was seriously worried.

"Yes. And you know what this means," Iemitsu continued. "The candidates for the Vongola Boss position have to fight over the rings and also for the Boss position itself."

Dino nodded. "What can I do to help?"

Nike mentally face palmed. She knew he'd say that. _"There he goes… and together with this, my free time."_

"I'm glad you're asking. As you know, the allied families aren't allowed to interfere with the fight, but then again…" Iemitsu stopped, then something sly appeared in his eyes. " I have to ask something of you…"

"Sure." Dino looked determined to help. Nike just grumbled. That really meant work. Lots of work.

Iemitsu grinned as he saw Nike's reaction. "Superbi Squalo is part of Varia as well. That means he'll be in Japan too. I heard you don't get along so well?"

Nike's ears moved and her face turned dark with irritation as she thought about the silver-haired man.

"All right. This is more than enough reason for me to go to Japan. I'm so gonna beat this sushi-boy up…" Nike started to curse under her breath. The first time she had met him had been the last time. However, the though at it alone made her as angry as she had been back then.

"Oi, Nike… the allied families aren't allowed to fight…" Dino eyed her nervously. "That includes Genesis members…"

Iemitsu laughed again when Nike ignored him. "Leave her be. At least she will come with you to Japan." He hiked his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"What the heck are you implying?" Dino asked suspiciously.

"You two alone in a hotel room…" Iemitsu grinned.

"Stop right there!" Dino stretched out his hand, trying to hide a light blush. "Back to the topic!"

~~~ 2 days later~~~

After they had arrived at the 'hotel' that Dino's subordinates had booked, Nike let herself fall on the ridiculously large bed in her room. However, the 'hotel' was actually the Nakayama Surgical Hospital.

_"Just how the hell is he able to book a whole hospital?"_ Nike thought, shaking her head.

"Do you like it?" Dino asked, standing in front of her. Nike mumbled a yes, being tired from the flight.

He chuckled. "Okay that's good. I'll be in my room to unpack my stuff. We'll be here for a while."

"'Kay," she answered as he closed the door behind him. Nike sat up and eyed her stuffed bag annoyed. She walked up to it, took it and opened the closet. After eyeing the closet, then her bag, then her closet again, she simply dumped her clothes inside and threw the closet's door shut before all of her clothes could fall out again.

"Heh," Nike let out a satisfied half-laugh and brushed off her hands. Before she had met Dino and stayed with him, she never knew exactly how untidy she was. Cleaning up was okay. Dust caused her to sneeze after all. But keeping her stuff in order? She was just too lazy at most times.

A few seconds later, Nike saw a third door; the other two leading to the corridor and the bathroom.

Just when she was about to walk over to it, the door opened and Dino stuck his head into her room.

Nike's face fell at the realization. The door lead to Dino's room, who looked just as surprised.

_"Romario that little…"_ Dino thought, but then faced Nike. "If you want to, we could lock the door."

Nike stopped him with a wave of her hand. "Nah, it's all right." She turned to her closet again which door was about to fly open. Nike threw her short body against it and continued: "You won't do anything funny after all."

"I suppose so…" Dino said slowly, but started to doubt himself: _"Or rather: I hope so…"_

And Nike had to hide her nervousness as well. She told herself to distance herself a little from him; to put a mask on her heart, and now _this_.

But before they could talk any more than this, Dino heard his room door flying open, Romario running into his room.

"Boss! One of the Varia was seen in the city!"

"What!? Okay, I'm coming!" Dino answered and grabbed his whip. "Nike?"

"I'm ready!" she said and ran after him.

~~~Meanwhile~~~

"VOI! I need to defeat you and take back those rings!" Squalo shouted at Tsuna and Basil, the former holding onto the Half Vongola Rings Basil gave to him after both were beat up by the Varia member who pointed his sword at them. Yamamoto and Gokudera had already been taken out.

"What's going on!?" Tsuna panicked.

"This is bad…" Reborn said, not allowed to interfere.

Before I take those… how do you want me to take care of you?" Squalo asked.

"You haven't changed, Superbi Squalo."

_"That voice!"_ Tsuna thought, while Squalo clenched his teeth and took a few steps backwards.

"Being so serious against kinds… Aren't you embarrassed?" It was Dino standing in front of him, a few of his subordinates behind him and Nike next to him. The young Cavallone boss looked seriously pissed and disgusted as he stretched his whip within his hands.

Nike glared daggers at Squalo, her eyes as cold as ice cubes. "Screw the rules. I'm gonna stuff his fish-face into a sardine can…!"

* * *

><p>So, sorry for the delay! Hope you forgive me *takes cover* I hope for your support! You wouldn't believe how much it raised my spirits when I read the comments hehe. So hug my review button if you like! :D<p>

And... Oh man, I really like Squalo.. too bad Nike doesn't XD So anyway, a little spoiler for the next chapter…

We'll meet a certain leader of the Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee… I wonder how Nike and that certain someone will like each other XD Take a guess, guys!


	14. Home Tutor Dino

So here we are- the next chapter out. (That I actually wanted to release a day earlier… if it hadn't been for my cold.)

So anyway (- I say that a lot, no?) hope you guys enjoy it. I apologize for confusions or mistakes.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own KHR, just my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 14<strong>

Home Tutor Dino

"Dino-san!" Tsuna seemed really relieved seeing him. Squalo on the contrary knew that he now had serious problems. His eyes twitched as he faced Dino.

_"Bucking Horse Dino…"_

"If you insist on continuing your tasteless little game," Dino narrowed his eyes, "I'll take you on."

_"This is going to be a hassle if I take on the Bucking Horse,"_ Squalo thought, but right after that, he spat: "VOI! It'd be fun to fight you here and now, Bucking Horse! But the brass won't like it if I take on the Family Alliance. So I'll go home quietly…" But in the next second, Squalo grabbed Tsuna by his hair and yanked him up. "There is no way I'm gonna do that!"

"Let go of Tsuna!" Dino shouted and swung his whip at the Varia member. But Squalo was prepared; by shooting several small amounts of gunpowder from his sword, he took the sight of Dino and the others.

The young mafia boss tried to find his way through the dustcloud, as he hissed: "Damn him!"

As he finally saw a little more again, he was able to find Tsuna and Basil, asking if they were all right.

Nike meanwhile threw a kick at Squalo who jumped past her to escape. However, he swung his sword once more, and Nike had to jump back not to get hit. "Che!"

Squalo then managed to jump on a building, preparing to escape.

"As soft as ever, Bucking Horse! For your sake, I'll leave their lives in your hands. But I'll take these with me!" He showed them the box that contained the Half Vongola Rings.

"Wah!" Dino's and Basil's eyes widened, while Nike noticed the cut in her leather jacket, furiously grabbing it. Squalo had streaked her after all. "AH! That bastard!"

"The Vongola Rings!" Basil meanwhile shouted in shock, while Squalo managed to escape. "See ya!"

"Come back here you…!" Nike was about to go after him. Now this was personal! Basil tried to go after him as well, but his injuries forced him on the ground, making Nike stop. She turned her head around, then looked into the direction Squalo had jumped off too, noticing he managed to get away. "Oh, c'mon..!"

"Don't push yourself!" Dino warned Basil.

"Pursuing him wouldn't be smart," Reborn told them.

"Cutting my jacket wasn't smart either," Nike huffed under her breath and crossed her arms, as Tsuna asked Reborn why he didn't help him.

"I'm not allowed to attack him. He's in the Vongola Family as well."

"A Vongola almost killed me!? What's going on?" Tsuna shouted frantically.

_"… __A picture of misery like always,__"_ Nike thought almost speechless at how pathetic someone could seem to be, leaving aside the fact he stood there in his underwear...

Meanwhile Romario and Dino's other subordinates took care of the injured Yamamoto and Gokudera, "Boss they're in bad shape." Dino nodded and picked up the unconscious Basil.

"Tsuna, let's talk later. We need to take care of their wounds first."

Tsuna ran up to them, asking if they were all right.

Yamamoto and Gokudera however, were determined to fight against Squalo again instead of worrying about their wounds. But Reborn put this idea out of their head right away. "You two can go home. You must have realized it. The way you are now, you'll just get in the way."

That was harsh, but definitely the truth, Nike thought and shrugged her shoulders. Tsuna tried to shout at his home tutor, the latter however simply turned Leon into a rope that wiggled around him to drag him along. Nike ignored Tsuna's complaints and looked at Dino.

"Hey, we should get outta here. The cops are coming."

He returned her look. "Let's go."

**…**

Back at the Nakayama Surgical Hospital, they brought Basil into a room where Romario took care of him. "How's Basil doing, Romario?" Dino asked.

"His life isn't in danger. Looks like he's been well trained. His wounds are shallow, boss," Romario answered.

"Um, who is he? Is he also a Vongola?" Tsuna asked confused. Dino looked at him. "No, he's not a Vongola. But he's definitely on your side."

"Wha..!? A Vongola is my enemy, and someone who isn't a Vongola is my ally?" Tsuna asked, but soon realized his words. "Besides, I don't have enemies or allies!"

"Idiot. That's no longer the case. Or do you need a slap in the face to realize that?" Nike asked cynically, leaning against the wall at the side of the window.

"Nike's right. It's because of those rings," Reborn continued, starting to explain about the Vongola Rings Basil had mentioned.

"The official name for them is the 'Half Vongola Rings'. They were supposed to be held in secret for three more years. They are the treasure of the Vongola. An untold amount of blood has been spilled over those rings in Vongola's history. They have a dark past."

Naturally, that totally freaked Tsuna out. "Really!? Thank goodness that long-haired man took them."

Nike snorted amused, while Dino started grinning, knowing he was about to destroy Tsuna's hopes.

"Well the thing is…" Dino held up a box with the Vongola crest on it. "I have them right here."

Reborn twitched shortly, while Tsuna almost fell unconscious because of the shock. "Why? I thought they were stolen!?"

"These are real," Dino simply answered, then smiled. "We came here because of these." He nodded over to Nike. "A certain individual asked me to give these to you."

"Why me… those scary rings…" Tsuna started sweating, having an ominous feeling.

Dino grinned. "Because you are the 10th Vongola–"

"STOP!" Tsuna threw his hands up in the air. "I have to study! See you later, Dino-san!" Tsuna said, and threw the door shut. "HIIIIII!"

"Oi, Tsuna, wait!" Dino called after him, but he was already up and away.

Nike just stared doubtingly after him. "… Wacko."

_"And if he knew just how dark the past of these rings is, he'd probably die of shock…"_ she thought.

"Does he still think he can run away from his position?" Dino asked a little amused, still holding onto the rings. Then they turned around to look at the sleeping Basil.

"So, Basil was the bait," Reborn mumbled. "Yeah, he probably didn't even know," Dino said. "I think Iemitsu knew this would happen, so it wasn't an easy decision. But he could have just given Tsuna these rings directly."

"Yeah.. he came with us to Japan, after all," Nike commented, thinking of the rather unpleasant thought with Iemitsu's annoying suggestions about her and Dino.

"I see… so he came…" Reborn said.

~~~The next morning~~~

"Something weird happened this morning. This was in my mailbox!" Yamamoto told Tsuna, holding up one of the Half Vongola Rings, Gokudera doing the same. All three of them were back at the hospital Dino and Nike were staying at, waiting at the entrance hall.

"This is bad, they'll come after us if we have them!" Tsuna freaked out yet again, holding up the Half Vongola Ring that hung around his neck on a necklace. "But why did they go to you two?"

"Because they were also chosen," Dino told him, finally showing himself, Reborn next to him. Nike walked after them, yawning. After all, she had been the one delivering the rings to Yamamoto and Gokudera in the middle of the night.

"There are seven Vongola Rings. They only have meaning when Family members have them. The six other rings have been delivered to people who are worthy of protecting the next Vongola boss, Tsunayoshi Sawada. This ring is proof that you are the successor, Tsuna," Reborn explained.

"Why are you making choices for me? Besides, why are you dragging the others into this!?" Tsuna complained. Gokudera however, seemed happy like a little abandoned puppy that just found a new home.

"Gokudera's ring is the Ring of Storm. Yamamoto's the Ring of Rain," Reborn continued, while Tsuna wondered if this was a weather report.

"The first Vongola boss had a variety of unique members. They helped to shape the rings. The first boss was said to be like the sky, engulfing everything. So his Ring was the Ring of Sky. The other rings were named after various kinds of weather that colour the sky. The shower that washed all away, the Ring of Rain. The wind that fiercely whirls about, the Ring of Storm. The floating cloud that won't be caught by anyone and walks its own path, the Ring of Cloud. The sun that illuminates the Sky, the Ring of Sun. The illusion that prohibits knowledge of its own nature, the Ring of Mist. The thunderbolt that holds a harsh strike, the Ring of Thunder."

"Stop, stop! I just don't want mine!" Tsuna's head spun already, and searched for help by his friends. Yamamoto actually agreed, saying that he didn't get what was going on. Tsuna seemed delighted. But as soon as he mentioned that Squalo would come after them if they held onto the rings, Yamamoto and Gokudera suddenly looked serious.

"What's the matter?" Tsuna asked them.

"This is mine, right?" Yamamoto looked at the Rain Ring with a determined smile. "I don't think I can stick with being the loser!" The next second, he already ran out of the hospital. Gokudera followed after him. "I won't put this ring to shame!"

Tsuna looked after them with wide eyes, and even Nike couldn't help but be surprised. Those guys weren't as wimpy as she had thought…

_"Maybe they have some guts after all."_

Meanwhile Dino grinned a little teasingly. "Good job, Tsuna! Thanks to your words they are willing to train."

Tsuna ruffled his hair in frustration. "I didn't intend to do that!" Then he turned around to look at Reborn. "And what are you doing!?" he asked his home tutor, who was changing into different costume, which he called 'Master PaoPao', a hat in shape of an elephant adorning his head.

"The remaining four guardians need to train in 10 days or they won't be able to beat Varia," Reborn told Tsuna.

"You can just hope that Varia won't notice that those rings Squalo stole are fake. I don't really think it will take them 10 days to realize it, though," Nike noted with a side glance to Reborn.

"Well, then they can just go bury themselves," Reborn said with a somewhat amused tone.

"I don't want this!" Tsuna cried. "And anyway! Who are the other 4?"

"You know all 4 very well. The one with the Ring of Sun will be coming soon." As soon as Reborn had said it, they already heard a voice. In the next seconds, Ryohei Sasagawa, Kyoko's brother and Captain of Namimori's boxing club, ran into the hospital, already wearing the Sun Ring.

"Is it true that you will train me!?" he shouted excitedly. Then he saw Tsuna. "Hey, Sawada! We're taking on an enemy, right!? I heard about what happened, and about the rings as well…"

Nike looked at him. _"Is this guy actually useful?"_

As soon as she thought it, Ryohei already shouted: "BUT I'VE FORGOTTEN IT ALL!"

Nike almost fell over. _"…. No, he's not."_

Suddenly, Reborn's pacifier started glowing, the sign that another Arcobaleno was near. It turned out to be Colonello, a former Comsubin member.  
>"Why is Colonello here!?" Tsuna asked, rubbing his cheek were Colonello had kicked him for a greeting, as both Arcobalenos started arguing. Tsuna had enough. "Explain!"<p>

"I don't have time to train everyone, so I arranged personal home tutors," Reborn answered, while Colonello started poking Ryohei with his riffle.

"Hey! Is he really that weak?" Colonello asked.

"Yeah, out of the 7 chosen members, he is the weakest," Reborn said, making Colonello chuckle, much to Tsuna's surprise. Then Ryohei accepted Colonello as home tutor, and both ran outside to train.

"Then I'm going to go train as well," Dino finally said.

"You're going to be a home tutor, too?" Tsuna asked. "Aren't you going to fight with us?"

"Unfortunately, because of the alliance's position, I can't do anything," Dino explained.

Tsuna started feeling sick. "That's too much! I was counting on you!"

"Sorry, Tsuna. This is all I can do for you now," he apologized.

"So are you leaving to train Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto?"

Dino shook his head. "Nope. I got some other problem child."

However, Reborn assured Tsuna that both of his friends would find home tutors on their own…

"Well anyway, let's get going?" Nike stretched herself and looked at Dino. He nodded. "Yep, let's go."

**…**

Dino, Nike and Romario were on their way to Namimori Middle School.

"So Reborn said this guy is really that troublesome?" Nike asked Dino while they entered the school, referring to the one Dino was supposed to train.

"Well, he said he is a problem child. But he's needed for Tsuna's family, so…"

"Oh well, you'll handle it somehow," Nike said. Dino noticed that her presence next to him faded, despite her still being there. He grimaced.

"So you really don't plan on doing anything, right?"

Nike grinned. "Well, I did say I could kick that shark's ass, but you said no. So nope, I will lean back and enjoy the show."

He sighed in return. "Yeah and if I don't do a good job, who know what reborn will do with me."

"I can pretty much guess what he'll do" she retorted, thinking about all the stunts Reborn had already pulled. A cold shower went down Dino's spine. "Don't talk about scary stuff."

Shortly after, they reached the reception room and Dino opened the door. Inside he found a boy with black hair looking aloof and sharp as he coldly glared at Dino.

"So you are Kyoya Hibari."

"Who are you?" he asked sharply, but Dino wasn't imitated by it.

"I'm Dino. I'm like Tsuna's older brother and also an acquaintance of Reborn." Now the boy seemed interested.

"That baby's… So you're strong."

"I want to talk to you about your ring with the cloud mark."

"I don't care about that at all," he responded and stood up, bringing out his tonfas. "As long as I can bite you to death."

Nike blinked with a blank face. "Wow, this is gonna be a pain… for Dino."

"A problem child, indeed." Dino had to grin and brought out his whip. "Fine, that will speed things up."

**…**

Dino's whip cracked, Hibari's tonfa blinked. Both faced each other. Nike and Romario watched from a distance, leaning against the wire fence that confined the rooftop of the school.

"I haven't been on the rooftop of a school in a while. I like this place," Dino told Hibari with a confident smile.

"Then I will let you stay here forever," Hibari responded and didn't hesitate to attack. He swung his tonfas at Dino, which the latter evaded without losing his confidence. When Hibari tried to uppercut him, Dino stretched his whip and held the tonfa back with it, the leather making noises as the metal pressed against it.

"You're pretty good for your age," Dino told him.

"What are you saying? I'm going easy on you," Hibari responded and swung his other tonfa at him. Dino ducked himself, but still felt the weapon brushing his hair.

_"He's a fearsome brat_. _That's why he is needed for Tsuna's family,"_ Dino thought without leaving Hibari out of his eyes.

"Hmm… Dino's going easy on him…" Nike murmured. "Seems that way," Romario agreed as Nike thought:

_"But that still doesn't change the fact that this kid is pretty talented…" _

"I have no choice!" Dino swung his whip again, which Hibari evaded. However, he didn't notice Dino's actual plan…

His whip wiggled itself around the gutter behind Hibari, than shot forward and wrapped itself around one of Hibari's tonfas, preventing the boy to move.

"You're still a frog in a well. I don't want you to be satisfied at your current level. I'll make you stronger, Kyoya."

"No," Hibari simply said, launched forward and managed to graze Dino's face.

"Idiot. He let down his guard," Nike grumbled, then shrugged. "But at least he avoided a direct blow."

_"So, how should I tame him?"_ Dino thought, seemingly still enjoying their little fight.

**…**

The next day seemed to be worse than the one before. Yet again, Dino and Hibari were about to 'train' on the rooftop, and Hibari wouldn't listen to a word Dino said. All he cared about was fighting… And the story with the rings didn't interest him at all. It was fairly amusing for Nike, but for Dino, it was just nerve-racking.

"Hey Kyoya! Before we start fighting today, listen to what I have to say about the Rings," Dino said.

"That's fine, though I'm not interested in anything except tearing you apart," Hibari replied.

Dino started rubbing the back of his head, starting to get a little annoyed. "What a pain."

"Hey!" Hibari called out to him. "If you don't fight me seriously…." he walked over to the wire fence and held his hand with the Cloud Ring over it. "I'll throw this ring away."

Dino's eyes widened in shock and he started waving his hands desperately. "Ah! Wait! You Bastard!"

_"This guy… he's either proud or just obsessed with fighting,"_ Dino thought, his eyes glancing embarrassed yes slightly irritated to Romario who started laughing at his flustered boss, and to Nike, who even had to hold her stomach as she tried to stiffer her laugher.

When they started attacking each other again, Nike leaned back against the fence out of boredom.

"This will be such a long day again…"

"I guess so," Romario agreed. Then the 18-year old got an idea. "Hmm… maybe we can speed things up?"

Romario looked at her, already thinking of the worst outcomes. Her ideas were sometimes a bit… unusual. "Didn't you say you wanted to stay out of this?"

"Don't worry. I'll just bully Kyoya a little bit." Her voice somehow hid a bit of mischief. She had hidden her presence for the time they had met Hibari, just as she had learned, but now, to speed things up, she had another idea…

Within the next second, her face became serious, releasing a killer intend she usually directed towards Rika when she was angry at her.

Hibari immediately noticed it and now, the second day after meeting Dino, looked at her. He turned on his heels and ran towards Nike with his tonfas prepared to attack, ignoring Dino completely, who still seemed a little confused that Nike suddenly decided to intervene.

"Oi, Kyoya! Wait!" Dino tried to call him back, even hauling his whip after him to draw him back. But Hibari had already reached Nike and swung his tonfa. To his surprise, Nike had already jumped on the wire fence behind her.

He looked up at her coldly as she folded her arms behind her back and looked down on him with an expression of amusement and even worse for the boy – hidden mockery.

"Man, that was kinda close." A grin appeared on her face. His calm face turned into an icy glare.

"Get down there so that I can bite you to death."

Nike leaned her head to the side as her face turned blank. "Don't wanna." Then she pulled down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue. "Come get me if you wanna fight. Bleh~"

Something within the boy's eyes flinched as he reached out with his tonfa to strike her feet. She jumped again, only to land at the same spot. The wire fence wagged somewhat, making clattering noises.

"If you wanna fight me that badly, how about you listen about the rings?" she asked him a little bored.

"No," was the only thing she got to hear as a response.

"Hmm… What an interesting fellow." She squatted down and pointed at Dino. "You know, this guy is going easy on you the whole time."

Hibari jerked around, making Dino flinch as the boy looked at him as if he was his prey.

"I told you I'd throw the ring away," Hibari said coldly, yet Nike had the feeling he seemed to be _really_ angry. Dino just send Nike look of disbelief. Romario gaped at her as well.

"Is this how you wanted to help?"

"Well maybe things _will_ speed up now," she responded with an implied shrug.

And so Dino gave up, preparing his whip, again rather confidently. "I got it. Then it's a deal. If I win in a serious battle, you're going to be part of Tsuna's family."

Hibari smirked almost unnoticeable. "If you can."

* * *

><p>LOL I like Hibari XD Pissing him off would be my pride and joy... I'd probably end up in a hospital though…. Nike will have her problems with him too *muhahaha*<p>

And I like how Hibari never listens to Dino XD This guy is just a class of his own haha XD Though I don't understand why he doesn't want to be tutored by him… I would TOTALLY want that *starts daydreaming.. starts drooling… snaps out of it again* A-anyway… *sweats*

And thank you sooo much for your kind words! *gives cookie* :D Always happy to read them :3

And for everyone that wants to throw something at me for the almost non-interaction between Dino and Nike in this chapter *takes cover* I have my plans for the next chapter... Maybe. *runs away*

Hope to see you next time! Ciao! :D


	15. Hide and Deny

Hey there! Just a short note before you start! This chapter (once again) includes a part of a Drama CD ("Katekyoushi Dino"). It starts where I marked it with "***" and ends like that as well. Sorry about mistakes or confusions! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Don't own anything besides my OCs (if I did, I'd include Dino like all the time lol)

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 15<strong>

Hide and Deny

A Crack. The whip sliced through the air and bit into the metal of the tonfa.

_Clan__g! _"Hah!"

The battle occurred. Limps were stretched in order to hit the opponent. Almost perfect footwork was needed to avoid each other's attacks.

_Munch Munch…. _Hmm?

_Clank!_ "Hmpf!"

_Munch Munch _

Wait, what? What kind of battle was this? While Dino and Hibari were at each other's necks once again, their weapons trying to triumph over the other, another battle had started:

The Battle against the almost empty bag of chocolate chip cookies. The rustle of the bag started to throw irregularity in the battle that raged on the rooftop. When Dino jumped back to avoid one of Hibari's tonfas, and glanced over his shoulder, finding Nike on top of the part of the roof that hid the staircase, laying on her back with crossed legs. She shook the empty bag irritated with a scowl. "Oh man…"

He chuckled. "Are you that hungry?" Her head went up lazily upon hearing his voice, closing one eye to shield it from the setting sun. "No, I just gnawed at my arm, so take your time," she threw back at him sarcastically. Since when did he think they were there? It had been more than nine hours already! He cracked a smile and raised an eyebrow in light amusement. The same moment, Romario announced:

*** "Boss, it's almost time."

"Eh? Oh, it's already this late…" Dino noticed as he saw the blue sky slowly turning into shades of orange and red. He turned his attention back to Kyoya. "Let's finish for today, Kyoya." But Hibari had different plans; once more he rushed at the blonde, the latter having to jump backwards not to get hit.

"Hey, wait up! I said we're done!"

"Trying to run away?!" Hibari sounded obviously irritated as he threw his tonfas. Dino evaded them, even almost stumbling backwards as the metal almost streaked his face, but caught himself easily again.

"Geez! You little…!" With a last blow of his whip, he unarmed Hibari of one of his tonfas, then caught the other that Hibari firmly held onto.

"Today's training is over. Our fight will have to wait. If we just do all the training at once, we'll just get tired. Training has stages-"

But Hibari wasn't willing to let him finish his sentence. All that Dino said sounded like preaching to him. Why should he listen to him?

"That's doesn't matter. I just want to bite you to death. Right now."

Dino let out an irritated, yet tired sigh. "This damn battle-addicted brat…" He pulled his whip back that fell in a perfect loop as he grabbed it. "Okay, I get it already. But you know, wouldn't it be a waste to end this battle so quickly? Let's take a break and fight again when we've both rested. Then I'll fight you until you're satisfied."

Hibari eyed him coldly, but with a sense of distrust. "Are you honest? Aren't you just a lie so you can get away from me?"

"It's the truth!" he told the boy with black hair emphatically. "Reborn told me to teach you, So I can't just leave you. And if I actually did that, I don't know what _he'll _do with me…. " A shiver went down Dino's spine that clearly mirrored in his expression that started to distort when he thought about Reborn. Hibari thought for a second.

"I see… the infant… Then it's fine."

"What the… You're going to believe Reborn?" Dino seemed a little bit offended that Hibari would believe the Arcobaleno, but not him.

"That infant is not ordinary," Hibari simply replied.

"And what about me?"

"You are strong but… That infant is in a different league than you."

"EH!?" Romario started laughing at his boss' face that now seemed more than irritated. He shot around to look at his right-hand man. "Romario! What's so funny!?"

"Sorry, Boss!" the middle-aged man still laughed wholeheartedly. "But you know that what he's saying is true. If you're up against Mr. Reborn, even you won't win."

"I know that!" he responded still a little offended. "Since I met him, I've never won once." That seemed to awaken Hibari's interest, even if it was just a little.

"Hmm.. So you know each other for a long time?"

Dino shrugged and answered as if it was only natural: "Yeah, pretty much." Then something else caught his eye. "Hey Kyoya, you're hurt. Your cheek and your arm… Any other places that hurt? I went easy on you, but…"

"Easy!?" The last of Dino sentence seemed to irritate Hibari once more. Dino noticed the flinch within the boys eyes and shook his hands nervously, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"Ehh.. that is...! Ah, Romario, take a look at Kyoya!"

Amused, Romario nodded. "Yes, boss!"

"I don't need it." Of course Hibari wasn't someone that would take others help, so he rejected the offer immediately and turned on his heels.

"Oi, Kyoya!" Hearing that, Hibari turned his head.

"Also, stop calling me so informally. It's troublesome." Dino looked like he didn't really give a damn and hence, responded casually:

"Why, isn't it fine?"

Hibari on the other hand didn't seem to care about his answer, either. "Another thing. The damage to the school…." He looked around the rooftop. It indeed was a mess. Some stones were damaged, some even completely broken, along with the wire fence that seemed to have a few holes. "You will pay for it."

Dino's face fell in disbelief. "What!? You went crazy too!" He started pointing at the damaged floor and a wall. "This floor and that wall…! It's clear that your tonfas did it! It's not only my fault!"

Romario, though amused, tried calming his boss down. "Boss, Kyoya isn't here anymore." Dino's eyes widened and he realized it was the truth. He just went away!

"Damn that guy! I'll never understand him!" He left out a heavy sigh. "I wonder if I can train him enough before the Varia comes." That indeed seemed to be more than trouble.

"You have no choice, right?" Romario shrugged. "Still, who would have thought that our young master could ever teach someone."  
>There it was again. The stupid title he had a before becoming the boss of the Cavallone. It annoyed and embarrassed him all at the same time. "Romario! Stop with the 'young master'!"<p>

Romario held back a chuckle. "Sorry, it's an old habit of mine. But thinking about how you were back then…. Before Mr. Reborn came to tutor you, we were all worried if you'd even become our boss."

"I was just a weak kind with no strength, who would have achieved nothing. I was looked down upon by other families and at school. Just getting close to Squalo scared me;" Dino admitted, thinking about the past.

"However, we liked your young master, anyway," Romario finally went on. Dino looked a little surprised. "Huh?"

"It may had been better if you never got involved with the mafia. But even so, we think you're the only boss suited for us. We weren't wrong about that, were we?"

Dino looked a little touched, his expression softening. "You're right, I'll never regret becoming your boss. And that's all thank to Reborn. If not for him for him, I'd have never gained the strength to protect you all. That's why it's important to have a tutor. So, for Tsuna's fight against the Varia, I need to train Kyoya more. Sorry, my selfishness has maybe put you all in danger." He was right. Dino risked a lot helping Tsuna in this fight, even if he wouldn't fight himself. Who knew what Xanxus would do if Tsuna actually lost?

But Romario shrugged it off. "No matter what happens, we'll follow you. Because we believe in you." A little grin crept over his lips. "But.. if you continue training Kyoya, you'll probably break your bones."

Dino chuckled. "No doubt about that."***

"Hmm.." Nike stared off the roof, watching the setting sun, her chin burrowed in the collar of her black hoodie sweater she wore beneath her tattered, favourite jacket.

Her thoughts already drifted off. _"Man, his subordinates are so loyal to him. He's really loved huh?" _She started playing with her sleeve hem without noticing, her eyes still looking into the distance absentmindedly. _"But who could blame them? Who wouldn't want someone li__ke Dino as boss? Who wouldn't want to stay next to him and support him?"_

A small sigh escaped her, then she turned her head slowly, seeing Dino and Romario still talking. She closed her eyes. Her thoughts held great insecurity. And that insecurity made her feel anxious.

_" Dino… and that's why you don't need me here."_

**…**

The sun had set even further, the darkness approaching and revealing the stars behind blood-coloured clouds.

Nike hit one of the buttons. With a _clang! _the can of green tea rolled out of the automate. The girl eyed it. Really convenient those hot drink automates that could almost be found everywhere in Japan.

Nike opened the can and sat down on a nearby bank, near an empty playground.

She had told Dino that she would just take a stroll; not exactly a lie. There just too many things on her mind; things she just couldn't push back for much longer… It was harder and harder telling herself it was nothing, that the feelings dwelling inside, those she denied, would just disappear.

But instead, they just grew stronger. It with growing feelings, the pain grew equally.

Her underarms fell on her legs, her right hand lightly shaking the tea can around without paying attention to it. Then her head dropped.

"Just what am I doing here? This can't go on like this anymore. I need to think of something soon."

But there wasn't no time to think anymore. Suddenly, shadows scurried over the nearby buildings, all seemingly having the same destination. Nike's eyebrow furrowed in suspicion, her face, though calm, was serious.

"Ain't those people…." She fell into thoughts again, this time remembering Reborn's words. "He said we have 10 days before Varia would notice the rings that idiotic shark stole were fake."

Seemed like it was miscalculated this time.

Another glance at one of the Varia squad members and Nike was certain it was indeed them. And they seemed to be searching for something – or someone.

Nike's shrugged and intended to go to the left, taking the way back to the hospital the Cavallone Family was staying at. "None of my business."

But then she stopped, glancing slightly over her shoulder, but jerked her head back into place as if she didn't want to get caught by herself doing so.

She started biting her inner cheeks. "W-Well… I guess I could take a detour back."  
>With that, she turned on her heels and ran the way the Varia members were about to go. She heard a cry for help shaken by fear when she ran around the next corner.<p>

"Help us!"

Nike picked up her pace and found Futa, Lambo and I-Pin soon after, who ran away from a Varia member; a simple underling. _"So that's what the Varia is after? But why kids..?"_

Without stopping to run their direction, Nike raised her arm...

"Eat this!"

...And threw her tea can against the Varia members head. "Hah! Headshot!" she did a winning pose, throwing her fist up in the air.

"Nike-nee!" Futa cried out happily, grabbed I-Pin and Lambo and ran over to her, hiding behind her.

Nike didn't pay him further attention and instead flicked her eyes over to the Varia member. "If you're gonna kill someone, just do it. Don't just stand there and wait to get beaten up by a girl." The grin on her face was dark as she stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. The Varia member flinched and Nike seemed to be amused by his reaction. "Geez… you should go find yourself another job if that's how you gonna react…"

Then she turned around to the kids. "You okay?" Futa nodded. "Yeah! Thank you!" Nike didn't respond and began to search for something.

"Why are they after _you?_ Did you steal this man's lollipop?" The sarcasm in her voice dripped, yet it wasn't clearly visible for those that didn't know her, her face appearing simply deadpan.

"I- I don't know," Futa answered timidly. "Hmm…" Then Nike's eyes caught something shiny within Lambo's hair. Her face distorted, her eyelid twitching. She pointed at Lambo's head. "Why the hell does this damn _steakhouse_ have the Lighting Ring!?"

Before she could answer her own question, more Varia member appeared, surrounding them. Nike sighed a little bored. "Oh man, if that's how they're gonna play, it's time to make my own rules."

Now one of them jumped forward to attack them. Nike turned to her right without moving from her spot, shoved Futa behind her, who still held onto Lambo and I-Pin, and held out her leg. The attacker stumbled and fell flat on his face. Nike snorted gleefully. "Oops, watch were you're going."

The next one attacked. With a short glimpse, Nike found the dented tea can from before on the ground, kicked it up in the air, lunged out her leg and kicked the tea can right in her attacker's face. He stumbled backwards and fell down, starting to see stars.

Seeing the picture of misery before her, she shook her head and clicked her tongue. "And now this is why I said go find yourselves another job…"

It wasn't for long and Nike heard footsteps. "Futa!" Tsuna's voice called from across the street, running towards them together with Reborn.

"Tsuna-nii!" Futa started smiling, relieved after seeing him. Tsuna meanwhile wondered why Nike was standing there, but didn't have enough time to think about it. His eyes widened as he saw another Varia squad member appearing behind them.

"Watch out!"

Nike just sighed annoyed. "Boy, do they ever learn!?" However, she didn't move from her spot, as she saw someone else approaching, and with a flying fist, the Varia member was taken out.

"Vongola Family's Guardian of Sun, Colonello's number one student, Ryohei Sasagawa appears!" Nike stared at the boxer who stood there confidently. It didn't take long for Yamamoto and Gokudera to appear as well, starting to either bomb their opponents or strike them with a wooden sword.

"Geez, why does the stupid cow have a Ring!?" Gokudera growled, while the other boys looked if the kids were alright, and Tsuna finally turned to Nike.

"Thank you for helping out! But why are you here, Nike-san? I thought the Alliance wasn't allowed to fight…" Nike twitched, but stuffed her sudden hint of nervousness back in place. Excuse, she needed an excuse!

"I.. I was just taking a walk." She turned away from him and hung her thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans. Reborn smirked. "And what about them?" He pointed at the unconscious Varia members. Nike send him an annoyed glare. He was asking it on purpose. "My hand just slipped." she tried to shrug it off. _"And my leg…. Twice," _she admitted to herself, trying not to stick her tongue out.

"Anyway, you guys were a big help," Tsuna thanked them.

"Bu they were really weak. It was a breeze." Ryohei rubbed his nose with a grin. "How naïve. These guys are ranked the lowest within Varia," Reborn explained. "The really dangerous ones are.." He stopped and stiffened.

"They're coming," Nike said more to herself than to anyone else. That said, a man jumped out of the trees nearby, wearing the same coat as the ones that attacked them did.

"Who holds the Thunder Ring?" Then he started glaring at Lambo who almost peed his pants out of fear. "Is it that brat?"

But before he could attack Lambo, someone interfered with him. A blonde haired young man jumped next to him, his eyes covered by hair. Then four more people appeared, Nike starting to scowl heavily upon seeing that Squalo was one of them. Then her eyes fell on the others and confusion furrowed her brows.

_"So that's V__aria? A huge-ass robot, a drag queen, a boy with a... _tiara..._, the sushi-boy, a baby, and a man that looked like a Neanderthal." _She had second thoughts on the baby though…

"Wait, Levi," the boy with the tiara said. "Share the prey. Shishishi."

"You can't hunt them by yourself!" the drag queen whined.

"The situation has changed. The other Guardians are here," the baby said and Squalo stepped forward, obviously angry.

"VOI! How dare you trick me, trash!"

"Not their fault that you're dumb," Nike commented deadpan, but a hint of mock.

"VOI! Shut the hell up, watchdog! Else I'll cut you in pieces like the other Rain Guardian!" he barked back at her and whirled his sword around furiously. Nike's head flipped around, a dark and annoyed expression creeping over her face. "Just go bald, guppy fish!"

But before a war between those two broke out, Reborn jumped on Nike's shoulder, while someone shoved Squalo aside, the voice dark and sounding irritated.

"Move it."

"He's here. I never thought I'd see him again," Reborn said, looking into Xanxus' scarred face. Tsuna and his friends just froze upon seeing him, while Reborn and Nike just looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly, Xanxus hand started glowing, seemingly being able to use Dying Will Flame barehanded. The flame felt incredibly powerful and destructive, so that even his subordinates seemed nervous and stepped back.

"Damn…" Nike's body tensed up, ready to jump aside any minute. "Run!" Reborn told the others, but they still weren't able to move as Xanxus glared at them.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada. Die!"

But right after that, before Xanxus could do anything else, Iemitsu appeared, behind him Basil, much to everyone's surprise. "Xanxus, that's enough. I'll take charge from here." Iemitsu stood there completely calm, just a little grin curling on his lips. The Varia was extremely displeased that Iemitsu interfered now, but he just told them that he had issues with Xanxus conduct and the 9th approval of it, so he had waited for the 9th to reply to his letter explaining his doubts, and that he had now answered.

Upon Tsuna's confusion, Reborn explained that Iemitsu was the leader of CEDEF, hence an external advisor. An outsider who, during emergencies, had the right to succeed the boss. In other words, he was Vongola's number 2. Tsuna's jaw almost dropped on the floor hearing that. Then Reborn also explained that he had a part equal to the boss deciding the successor.

Basil handed Tsuna the 9th orders written in a letter, sealed with his Dying Will Flame. Unfortunately, it was in Italian and Tsuna didn't get one word. Iemitsu translated it. The 9th wrote that had thought until now that Tsuna was a worthy successor, but perhaps because he was close to death he had changed course and chose a new successor, his son Xanxus. He also wrote that Iemitsu fought against handing the Rings to Xanxus, but that he did not wish for the family to fight among itself, thus the decisive battle to decide the official successor would soon begin.

Nike just fell into deep thoughts. For her, that seemed to contradict itself. The 9th? Writing something like that? Close to death? Wasn't he cured? And then his odd behaviour when Dino tried to visit him. It was just weird… However, she snapped out of her thoughts when Iemitsu cleared his throat, his expression suddenly business-like and serious.

"Vongola successor candidate, Tsunayoshi Sawada and Xanxus! The Vongola Rings that you both require to become the true successor… To decide who has the right to these, we will begin the battle between Tsuna's Family and Varia!"

**…**

"Wait, WHAT!?" Dino had problems believing what Nike had to tell him. Or rather, he didn't want to. "The fights take place at Namimori Middle School!? Oh man, how am I gonna explain this to Kyoya…?" That was right. The thought alone that he had to tell the black-haired boy about the news was horrifying. That guy just loved the school too much. The chance that he'd snap completely was at least... 1000%.

Nike shrugged and let her back fall against a wall, facing Dino. "Dunno, but the first fight starts tomorrow at 11 o'clock in the evening."

"Gotta keep this a secret as long as I can…" He rubbed his hand over his face, cold sweat appearing on his forehead. It was already bad enough that Varia had already noticed that the rings Squalo stole had been fake, and now _this_… He would have to speed the training up, even at costs of injuries...

**…**

_Your clock is still ticking._

_Hers will never start again._

_A flicker of red ran through her hands, coldness of dead limbs biting into her fingers, her chest. Darkness surrounded her, a silent scream tried to escape her lips. The sharp edge of metal ate her leg, cut through skin, nerves, everything in its way. Clouded, dead eyes stared at her, pierced her._

_"It's your fault. It's your fault she died." Those words… They still haunt her, a shadow eating her existence, swallowing her, drowning her in guilt._

_But your clock desperately tries to continue onwards._

_Even if you suffer._

_But what is the price?_

_His clock will stop because of you._

_Make your decision._

"…ke!"

_A voice…_

"Nike!"

_Your voice…_

"Hey, wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open, her chest moving up and down, her breathing irregular, her clothes sticking to her skin. Searching, she looked around and her eyes locked with his.

"Dino…?" Nike's voice suddenly came out. His warm, gentle hands rested on her shoulders, shaking her softly until she finally spoke to him. He just sat there at the edge of her bed, looking worried. The look in his eyes somehow just hurt.

_Make a decision. _The voice wouldn't shut up.

"Geez…" he let out a relived sigh. "I heard noises in your room and figured you had a nightmare. Sorry for bursting in your room." He smiled apologetically. Nike shook her head and sat up, her eyes clamped shut again. Her memories kept shouting out to her – even Nike's ears started to ring along with her head. She rubbed her temple. When the ringing didn't stop, she started pushing her hand hard against her head. Dino took her hand and softly pulled it away, a soothing smile trying to calm her. The worry however, never left his eyes. "It's okay. It's all right now." His words calmed her, but at the same time hurt.

_"Nothings okay,"_ she thought, her inner feelings starting to cry out. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently, his voice calm.

_Make a decision. _

But Nike couldn't answer. How could she ever? Without saying anything, her head just dropped onto his chest, her hands grabbing his shirt firmly. He was a little taken aback at first, but caught himself again. His arms just closed behind her, hugging her. He didn't want to see her like that. Something was wrong. She behaved so oddly for some time now. He had noticed it this evening, too. What, he couldn't tell.

Feeling his strong arms, her heart felt like being stabbed. Everything she tried to deny so desperately, she kept away, just flooded out, like blood out of a deep cut.

She couldn't deny anymore, she could only hide.

And with this knowledge, the voice in her head began to win. Nike knew, as long as she denied her feelings, he'd be safe, he who meant everything to her.

But one day, the hidden truth would come out, and with this, endanger him. And if Genesis ever found out, she'd be punished. Punished with his death.

_"My selfishness broke Genesis' rules and with this, I endanger you, engager your life." _Her arms wrapped around him, her face pressed deeper into his chest. _"I wanted to protect you. I don't want to see you get hurt. Not because of me. And I knew I could stay with you as longs as I deny; as long as I didn't accept the truth."_

Dino's head shifted, leaning against her soft hair. He couldn't comfort her. No words seemed to reach her. He could only be there…

_"And now the thing I need to protect you from are my feelings."_

* * *

><p>Ok, that turned out longer than I actually wanted. Whatever.<p>

About the Drama CD, the first minute of it wasn't included here; it's basically (or no, it IS) the same as of what I've written last time. (Y' know, how Dino and Hibari meet for the first time.) And the rest of it will follow in another chapter. Wouldn't have fit the timeline here.

Oh, and blame Genesis for its stupid rules, not me XD It'll be explained clearly after Rika starts to poke her nose into this story again… Which is not too far away!

But for now we gotta see more Varia, see some more Kyoya, and we've got to slap some Cervellos (at least I wanna… I hate them GRAHHH!) * harrumph* ok rant stop XD

Anyway, thanks for your kind words! See ya soon! :D


	16. The Ring Conflict Starts

So, here we are! New chapter, the battles are ahead! Note that this contains parts of the rest of the Drama CD Katekyoushi Dino, mixed with a little of a chapter of the light novels (marked with "***" again).

**Disclaimer: Don't own KHR, just my OCs.**

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 16<strong>

~~~The Ring Conflict Starts~~~

"Maybe you should stay here today. You look a little pale." Nike, who just picked up one of her boots and slipped her foot in, turned her head to look over her shoulder. Dino walked up to her before squatting down, eyeing her concerned. His right hand reached up to her forehead, touching it to feel if she had a fever. She peered up at his hand, thinking of leaning back to get away from it, when she actually just wanted for him to touch her.

"No, I'm okay," she waved her hand dismissively, but Dino wouldn't give in this time and shook his head. "No, you didn't sleep well. I don't want you to get sick, okay?" He smiled and touched her shoulder lightly before standing up. "Besides, the training will be the same as always - Kyoya trying to beat me up."

She was just silent. The last night had been hard and the way he looked at her, he knew something wasn't right, but he wouldn't ask, waiting for her to tell him when she was ready. But the thing he didn't know was that she couldn't tell him.

"Maybe you're right. I'll stay here today," she finally responded, kicking her boots off again.

"I'll see you later," he called after her as she went past him, his worried gaze not leaving her back before she disappeared around the corner.

In her room, she just threw herself on top of her bed, her face buried in her pillow. A lout sigh escaped her as her head turned to the sight. Then she stopped moving at all, her eyes only facing out of the window. It was noon. Her eyes then fell shut and she fell into a restless sleep, the images of darkness and blood running through her dreams. When she opened her eyes again, hearing Dino's Ferrari arriving in the parking lot, it was already night, the dim blue moonlight filtering through the window. The numbers of the alarm clock next to her glared at her. It was past midnight. The Sun Battle was probably already over.

Her head ached but she forced herself to sit up, her hand flying up to her temple, the other one supporting her weight.

When she heard footsteps, she swung her legs with heavy motions over the edge of her bed and got up, opening the door slowly, the light of the corridor burning in her eyes.

Dino and Romario walked up the stairs and Nike immediately noticed the wounds that covered Dino's face.

Dino spotted her as well and stopped in front of her with a mildly amused smile, noticing her disapproving blue bell-coloured eyes eyeing his wounds.

"I said I'd have to speed the training up," he laughed lightly, trying to dismiss himself.

"And you have to get yourself beaten up for that?" she asked, raising one eyebrow and furrowing the other.

"Kyoya doesn't look any better," he chuckled, but she just rolled her eyes. When she turned her attention to Romario, who was already carrying a first aid kit, she reached out her hand. "Give that to me."

Romario looked at the first aid kit, then laughed and handed it over. "Then I'll leave the boss to you." She nodded, turned on her heels and walked straight to the next door, entering Dino's room.

She simply pointed at his bed and he sat down, slumping his shoulders while observing her face as she looked around inside the first aid kit. As he began to worry about her health – and even more about her behaviour – she already turned around.

"Ouch!" Dino winced as Nike pushed a band-aid on his nose with pressure, trying to look at his nose with a pain-twisted face. Nike just rose an eyebrow. "Stop moving! It's your fault for being so reclass."

His eyes wandered to the side, smiling a little. "It's fine. It's the only way to help Tsuna out."

"And get hurt for that?" she asked and disinfected a cut on his underarm with a bad smelling tincture, rubbing it into the wound with rising pressure as he didn't answer.

"Ouch! These injuries are not that serious…"

Nike just rolled her eyes and wrapped a bandage around his arm. Then she searched for another band aid to put it on his bruised, bloody cheek.

He almost didn't want to ask. "…Are you angry?" Nike didn't answer at first, but put the band aid on his cheek gently this time. Done with that, she sat down next to him, facing the ground.

"No."

"Then why…?"

But she interrupted him. The answer she gave him, however, caught him off guard. "You once said you didn't want me to get hurt. I just don't want to see you get hurt either. That's all." She didn't look at him when she said it, her eyes only staring emptily into mid-air.

The surprise looked lingered on his face a while longer. He wanted to hug her, but something told him he shouldn't. Instead, he stroked over her hair; just one single time.

"Thank you."

Nike's chest clenched, and tried to joke as she said: "You better be." She then wanted to stand up, but Dino's hand had already wrapped around her wrist.

"Eh?" she wanted to look at him as he already felt her forehead worriedly. "You have a fever..!"

"What, but…" She hadn't realized. Dino felt his own forehead with his other hand and seemed certain. "No, you have one. You should go to sleep."

She simply nodded, actually only now realizing how heavy her body felt. Her head had just been to full to think of something else.

"Yeah, I should." She stood up and felt a little dizzy. "You okay?" Dino's voice felt close to her ear, his strong arm wrapping around her waist to support her. Nike really didn't want him to let go, but in the next moment already felt her cold blanket, that had a high temperature difference against her hot body, covering her.

The last thing she remembered before she fell asleep was her inner voice calling for him not to go away, and his hand cupping her cheek.

Dino watched her with a gently, but intense expression for a while, brushing strands of her softly out of her face. He saw her sleeping face so extremely rarely that for him, it almost seemed like a treasure that he wanted to keep for himself.

With a weak smile, he bend down an kissed her forehead lightly. "Please hurry up and tell me what's making you suffer so much."

**…*****

The sun had disappeared behind the horizon, and in a forest, within darkness unreachable by light of moon or stars, two beasts hidden in human form faced each other in combat.

Dino turned to face his attacker, blocking a downswung tonfa with his staining arm. And even if his eyebrow formed into a grimace, his smile suggested he was enjoying this. "You don't go easy, do you?"

"You wanted me to?" Hibari asked without even wanting to hear an answer.

Determinedly Dino drove his whip towards Hibari, but the boy just blocked him with a single tonfa. However, this was what the young boss had planned. He used the recoil to get distance between them and free his whip from the tonfa.

But before that, the boy attacked once more, the young blonde rushing forward to face him, swinging his black whip.

And even as their weapons came into contact with the other's body, they would avoid vital organs and serious injuries, yet droplets of blood and sweat scattered.

It was a rivalry of skills.

When both broke apart another time, their breathing was heavy. Dino suggested a break, much to Hibari's dismay.

"Don't take too long."  
>Yes, yes. I know," Dino responded, taking another deep breath before stretching his back and rubbing his arm.<p>

"Romario, water please!" He called over to his right-hand man.

"Here," Romario threw a bottle of water, Dino catching it without trouble. He opened the bottle and took a few hasty gulps of the cold liquid. "Kyoya, have one too," Dino then said, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Romario threw Kyoya a bottle as well. "Here."

Much to Dino's surprise, Hibari accepted the bottle after he stared at it for a while. _"Whoa, he took it…"_

However, then the boy started speaking about topic Dino would have rather avoided. "After all this fighting at Namimori Middle, what's the meaning of deciding to fight somewhere else?" His question was sharp.

Dino's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in shock for a second. _"That's bad! Don't tell me he found about Varia and the Ring fight being in Namimori Middle… This guy just loves that school too much. He'll definitely kill me…"_Dino tried hard not to show his nervousness.

"Well, it's fine anyway," Hibari let it go without much of a reaction.

Mentally, Dino sighed in relief. _"Thank goodness, he doesn't know!"_

"I don't mind where I can fight you." Normally, Hibari's cold smirk would have taken Dino aback again, but this time he was too relieved that he just nodded as casually as possible.

"I-Is that so. "

Suddenly, a cell phone rang, the ringtone being more than weird. It sounded like the anthem of Namimori.

Dino slumped his shoulder as he saw Hibari picking up his phone. "Hello?"

After he had exchanged very few words with the one who had called him, Dino said:  
>"I think that's going to be all the training for today. I've got some things to do so I'll be leaving, but you can rest first-"<p>

Beep.

Without a single word Hibari hung up and walked away without answering, his back already turned towards Dino.

"Eh..? Oi, where are you going?"

But the boy had already disappeared.

"Typical." Dino let out a small sigh of disbelief, scratching the back of his head lightly. *******

Then his eyes searched for something else. When he found it, he cracked a light smile. He put his hand around his mouth and called:

"Hey, Nike! We're done here!" Upon hearing her name, Nike, who was sitting on a tree branch on a nearby tree, pulled her light blue headphones she had brought along off and jumped down the tree, bending her knees as she hit the ground to cushion the fall.

"Geez, was about time," she yawned and stretched herself. "If we don't hurry, the storm battle will be over."

"You're right. But we still have some time left," he responded, but she was already not listening anymore, looking behind herself. When she looked back at Dino, she jerked her thumb over her shoulder into the direction Hibari had gone off to.

"Is it all right to let him off like that?"

"Hmm? Yeah, why?"

Her expression turned blank as she answered lamely: "Because he probably off to Namimori Middle?"  
>Dino's face fell, frantically looking into the direction she pointed. "That's bad!"<p>

She stared at him with little amusement, then shook her head to stop herself from starting to think of Dino.

"Oh man, don't make that face. I'm going too." She turned around and started walking off.

"Eh.. Hey! What are you doing?"

With a half-laugh that consisted of mild mockery, she answered: "Going to look how Hibari reacts after seeing the school damaged."

With that, she disappeared into the same direction Hibari did, leaving a fairly puzzled Dino behind.

**…**

Levi was simply send flying as Hibari tripped him up, landing in the shattered glass that lay around in the hallway.

"Shall I bite you to death first? Hibari asked coldly, his tonfas ready to be put to work.

"VOI! Howe many pieces do you want to be cut into?!" Squalo shouted excitedly at Hibari.

"You couldn't even cut a piece of butter, baldy," a voice said annoyed as a window opened. "HII!" Tsuna almost toppled backwards out of shock as he saw Nike squatting on the windowsill.

"Yo!" she lazily raised a hand to greet them.

"WHAT did you say!?" Squalo shouted enraged after her comment. She pulled down an eyelid, the rest of her deadpan expression not changing. "You heard me, stupid."

Before she could show him any more weird grimaces, Reborn interfered, asking: "You are already here?" She looked at him and nodded simply. "Yup, I'm here to look that _Kyo_ doesn't do anything stupid." Calling the battle-addicted boy that way earned her Tsuna's disbelieving stare.

Then she finally noticed Hibari who was about to go on a rampage after Squalo's taunt. However, a woman with pink hair and a black mask stopped him, her voice calm, almost flat.

"Please stop. If participants fight outside of the matches, they will be disqualified."

Nike's expression turned blank and she flicked her fingers. "Then again, seems like I'm already too late. Too bad."

_"She doesn't care at all!"_ Tsuna gaped at her, while Yamamoto walked over to Hibari, trying to calm him down. "Come on, Hibari!"

"You are in my way. Don't stand in front of me," Hibari said icily, then raised his tonfa. But before he could hit Yamamoto, he had already stepped behind him, holding down his tonfa.

"That long-hair is my opponent, okay?"

Hibari seemed surprised, even if he didn't show it, along with everyone else. It was not only that he was able to dodge Hibari, but _how_ he did it.

"I'll bite everyone that gets in my way to death." Hibari now seemed seriously angry. However, Reborn managed to calm him down, telling him he maybe had the possibility to fight Rokudo Mukuro, someone Tsuna had fought a while back, again in the future. As far as Nike knew, he was imprisoned by Vindice, which even perked her interest. How on earth was he able to fight against Hibari when he was imprisoned by Genesis' arch-enemy; on top of that when everyone knew escaping their prison was impossible.

Hibari seemed satisfied nonetheless. "Is that so…" Then he faced the pink haired woman. "Will you repair the damage done to the school?" Hibari asked.

"Yes. We, the Cervello, will take full responsibility," the judge of the Ring Conflict answered. Nike scoffed. She somehow didn't like them the second she had laid eyes on them. Maybe they were just part of her own image of 'plain irritating'.

"I see." Hibari turned around to walk away, his business seemingly over. As he walked past Yamamoto, he said: "I've changed my mind. Don't lose to him before it's my turn to fight." He was referring to Squalo. "See you."

Nike started grinning. "Hey Kyo!" She called after him as she climbed down the windowsill. Hibari turned his head, glaring at her as he heard his new nickname, which she enjoyed using seeing his annoyance.

"Maybe now's the time to hear Dino out, don't you think?" She smirked at him confidently, perfectly knowing he was now willing to listen to the 10th Cavallone boss about the Ring Conflict. His eyes rested at her for a while. Something within them glowed sharply as they did when he had looked at Yamamoto before, Nike knowing that he looked that way also at Dino, a worthy opponent. Then he turned around with a 'hmpf' and stomped off.

"Un-cute brat." Nike scratched her cheek.

Tsuna was speechless. "Hibari-san honestly stopped fighting."

"That's how big the insult he received from Mukuro was," Reborn told him, but they were interrupted by a screaming Squalo.

"Hey, sword-brat! Where did you learn that move from before? I like it! Your chance of victory moved from zero percent… " He pointed his sword at Yamamoto, "to zero percent."

"If Squalo wins tomorrow, the Conflict will be over," Mammon suddenly spoke up. Squalo then said mockingly: "Prepare yourself! See ya!"

Tsuna sighed in relief. "They finally left."

"I wasn't sure what would happen when Hibari stared his rampage," Gokudera said, who was beaten up after losing the Storm Battle.

"But if Hibari joins us, we'll be stronger," Reborn told them. "He powered up through his training as well."

"True, can't wait to see that!" Yamamoto grinned widely. Gokudera still had doubts. "But do you really think he will join us?"

"Don't worry." Nike, who was looking at the window Varia had disappeared through with annoyance suddenly said. "He will fight. Can't promise you he will play after the rules though."

Meanwhile Gokudera, who was sitting on the ground up till now, tried to stand up, his legs almost giving in. Tsuna looked worried.

"This is just a scratch!" Gokudera assured him. "No you need first aid," Tsuna said, Basil turning around to face someone else after that. "Dr. Shamal, please tend to Gokudera-dono."

"I don't tend to guys," the Dr., Gokudera's tutor, simply replied, then swung his arm around Nike's shoulder _'accidently' _groping her. "I wouldn't mind tending you, though~" Nike's face darkened instantly, grabbed his arm, kicked his feet of the ground and used his own weight against him to throw him over her shoulder, sending him flying through the next window.

Nike dusted her hands off and snorted irritated. "Bastard. Go die." Everyone gaped at her, only Reborn didn't seem to care.

"W-Well.. he's always been like that…" Gokudera mumbled. "But still," Tsuna caught himself again, "we need to tend your wounds."

"I guess we have no choice. Romario, take a look at him." Nike had whirled around immediately, only to find Dino before he had even spoken. Somehow she found it amazing that she was able to tell wherever he was near her or not. For her, he had an entirely different presence than anyone else. Then his eyes found hers, widening a little.

"You're already here?"

"Yep, you slowpoke." He made a face at her, showing light amusement as he was already used to her snide remarks. He was just happy that she looked at him for more than just a few seconds.

"Dino-san!" Tsuna seemed surprised to see him, while Romario looked at Gokudera's injuries.

"We must have just missed Varia. Kyoya hasn't come yet, right?" Dino turned his attention to Tsuna with a smile.

"Eh? He just came," Tsuna responded.

Dino was aghast. "When did he manage that!?"

"Don't worry, he didn't do much and left," Reborn assured him. "I see…" Dino seemed relieved, though he still couldn't believe he had managed to get back to Namimori Middle so fast.

"Dino-san, where have you been?"

"How to put it…" He searched for words to explain the thing he called training – which others probably simply viewed as unhuman. "'On-the-road training,' I suppose."

Tsuna raised an eyebrow. "On-the-road?"

Dino chuckled lightly, running his hand through his blonde hair. "He doesn't listen to anyone at all, and he wouldn't admit a loss even if I were to squash him."

"So Hibari-san's a handful even for Dino-san," Tsuna said in horror.

Dino smiled at Tsuna's reaction. "I panicked when Nike told me the Ring Conflict would take place at Namimori Middle School. I thought Kyoya would snap if he saw the school being damaged. So, to train him for different situations, I moved the training away from here. Thanks to that, we went from the mountains to the sea, forests, rivers and I was able to train him in different environments."

"T-That seems epic," Tsuna stuttered, more horrified than anything else.

"So how much stronger has Hibari gotten?" Reborn asked his former student. "Who knows." Dino shrugged, answering nonchalantly. Then his face suddenly had a more serious shade to it "He did become stronger. I can't judge how much. Kyoya Hibari. His growth will be limitless." Then his head turned to Yamamoto.

"Oh, yeah. I came here to tell you about Squalo."

Nike felt like someone send an electric shock through her body, irritation running her over once more as she remembered that Yamamoto would be Squalo's opponent.

"Dino-san, you know about Squalo?" Yamamoto asked him. Dino's face turned serious, Nike's face along with his. She already knew the story.

"Squalo was meant to be Varia's boss." Tsuna and his friends were left in shock.

"What!? Is the that strong!?"

"I was with him at a school for mafioso kids. His strength was well known, even then. We knew there was an amazingly strong, young swordsman there. During that time, Squalo didn't choose a single sword style. Instead, he fought every swordsman he met and absorbed their fighting style. Varia heard him and tried to scout him. However, as a requirement for joining, Squalo demanded to fight Tyr, the leader of Varia, known as the Emperor of Swords. At that time, no one doubted Tyr would win. But after their death match that lasted two days, Squalo won. At that time, he perfected his current technique. Once he joined Varia, he continued to top everyone else. Everyone believed Squalo would be Varia's new boss."

"But Xanxus is the boss! Why?" Tsuna asked.

"I don't know. There are some great secrets surrounding Xanxus. If you guys win, maybe you'll learn something."

Hearing Dino say that, Nike remembered the facts that they knew – which wasn't much. So many things seemed to be at odds. Especially the whole thing concerning the 9th behaviour.

"Yamamoto," Dino looked at said boy with a mixture of concern for him and seriousness. "Let me make this clear. Squalo is a man who has already beaten many sword styles. If you rely on a particular style, you have no chance of winning. You must surpass any sword style if you want to defeat him."

Nike however wondered if that was really true. Wasn't there another way? She knew there was no way for Yamamoto to overcome any sword style in such a short time, but somehow she had the feeling that he still had a chance.

"Ah, don't listen to him," Nike tried to sound as if she was joking. They looked at her. "Whatever you do…"

"Hm?" Yamamoto seemed like he hoped for a helpful hint.

"Whatever you do, just beat this shark-idiot up!" She clenched her fists, feeling sole anger and irritation itching in her fingers when she thought how she wasn't allowed to beat Squalo up herself. The only way now was for Yamamoto to beat him, and for her to watch gleefully from the sidelines.

"Make fish and ships out of this walking disaster sardine!" she continued ranting while she ignored the stares she got. Dino sighed and scratched his head as Reborn smirked.

"Tomorrow's fight will certainly be interesting."

* * *

><p>*sweats* Hope you liked it. (And are not that mad that I skipped the sun- and lightning battle. I just didn't think they were as important as the others *lol*) However, next time we got the whole~ Rain battle muhahaha.<p>

Thanks again for your reviews, alerts etc.! Love ya guys!3 See you soon to the EXTREME! :D


	17. Rain Battle

Ciaossu! I'm back again and that 2 days later than I actually expected. My stupid pc was like "oh, no, I want to crash now and you didn't save Chapter 17! Rewrite it!" And I was like "$%(/&%&!" Well anyway, like I said, here's the Rain Battle. I'm stubborn. I just like Squalo too much XD If not, I would have kicked him out of this chapter and wrote something else.

Maybe a special about Dino as Little Red Riding Hood 0.0… What the hell am I blabbering about? *slap myself* Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHR just my OCs

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 17<strong>

~Rain Battle~

Nike peeked inside Namimori Middle's south tower; the battlefield for that day. The windows of the tower were sealed and the only exit was a heavy looking door. The battlefield featured a massive amount of water that seemed to flow without an end and begun filling up the tower from the first floor, giving it a feeling of a sinking ship. Inside, the sound of splashing water almost drowned out the voices that could be heard faintly.

"Xanxus is serious," Reborn said, making Tsuna gulp. Then Nike briefly felt a hand on her shoulder, before Dino, who had come along, appeared next to her, saying: "Don't scare them so much, Reborn."

Tsuna and the others seemed surprised, while Dino turned to Yamamoto. "Yamamoto, we'll be watching your match." Nike gave nod at that. "Don't you dare lose."

"Okay!" Yamamoto grinned in return.

"Kyoya suddenly started paying attention to the Ring Conflict yesterday, so he's probably around, too," Dino continued seemingly rather relaxed, his hands resting in the trouser pockets of his dark blue jeans. Tsuna gaped at him. "He didn't know until yesterday!?"

Nike just shrugged. "What did you expect? That he'd come running all excited? Not even if hell freezes."

"Anyway," Reborn interrupted them. "we have one Ring, they have three. Our backs are against a wall. It's an important match."

"Alright! It's decided!" Ryohei, who wore a sling around his right arm, shouted. "We'll pull Hibari into the circle!"

"That's impossible," Gokudera scrunched up his face.

"Yep," Yamamoto agreed with a short laugh.

"He'd punch us," Tsuna said in horror.

"I think so too," Dino didn't want to think of Hibari's reaction, either. Nike shook her head slowly.

"Nope, he'd kill you." But Ryohei didn't want to back down, shouting: "No exceptions!"

In the end, however, they decided to let Basil in, who seemed to be shy about it at first. Then they grabbed each other's shoulders, standing in a circle, and shouted: "Yamamoto! Fight!"

Dino chuckled almost not audible as he watched them, while Nike blinked in confusion, her brows furrowed. _"What the hell is that about?"_ She didn't know that gesture, not had the word 'teamwork' ever been important within Genesis.

"Now, the Guardians of Rain please come to the centre. Because the field will be underwater, the spectators' room will be outside. The match will be shown on the giant screen mounted on the tower's outside wall," the Cervello, that completely looked alike, announced.

Everyone besides Yamamoto and Squalo had to exit the building, his friends wishing the former good luck before the heavy door closed behind them.

Squalo taunted Yamamoto for not running away a week ago, but he simply laughed. "You never know until you try."

Outside, Dino, Nike and the others looked at the giant screen as the Battle started, Squalo rushing forward immediately. Yamamoto managed to duck himself away, but Squalo wouldn't let him catch a break. Right after, he attacked with his hidden explosives. But Yamamoto evaded even them, although it had been close. Squalo then jumped, disappearing from Yamamoto's sight, only to appear again behind him. He tried to dodge the shark's attack with his wooden sword, but the experienced swordsman used his explosives once again.

Then a big smoke cloud appeared, taking a weird shape, making the watchers of the match wonder what it could be.

"Yamamoto drew. That's Shigure Souen style, the 7th defensive form," Reborn explained calmly, "Shibuki Ame; Spraying Rain."

And it was true; the second the smoke disappeared, Yamamoto held the transformed 'Shigure Kintoki', the bamboo cover of the sword having transformed into a katana. The others looked amazed, yet shocked.

"Amazing," Tsuna stammered.

Dino looked amazed as well, almost speechless. "So that's Yamamoto's Shigure Souen Style. There are still some faults, but for him to get so far in such a short time…"

"Well, if he didn't master it, he'd be diced by now," Nike remarked deadpan, hiding her actual amazement at how far the boy had gotten. There weren't many that were able to complete such a training within such a short while. Especially since he had no experience in battle so far, and remembering a technique and using it in an actual battle were two completely different things.

Reborn smirked. For an honest man to fight in such a situation with no fear he must be a real fool, or a natural born hitman." Tsuna gaped at his tutor. "Hitman!? What are you saying!?"

"Aren't I great? I was the one who spotted his talent," Reborn continued, confident in himself.

"And now you're just bragging!" Tsuna hissed.

"But…." Dino still had his doubts. "It's dangerous to rely on Shigure Souen Style more than that."

"You're still saying that, Dino-san? But his technique worked!" Tsuna said, but the blonde's serious expression didn't change. Nike glanced at him, still having her own doubts. She wondered what she would do if she were in Yamamoto's situation. Continue to rely on Shigure Souen style, or not? In the end she decided that she would probably just stuff his head under water until the bubbles would disappear…

However – call it 6th sense or not – there was something about the Shigure Souen style, that gave her the impression that it would be able to beat Squalo, one way or another. It was on Yamamoto to figure out how.

However, Squalo didn't seem impressed. He had started attacking Yamamoto again, who had thought for less than a second which technique to use next. He decided on the 2nd defensive form, Sakamaku Ame, Rolling Rain. He created multiple waves of water around him with his sword, defending himself with it. Just as planned, Squalo's sword missed him, as Yamanto had crouched down.

Tsuna's face lit up, having the hope Yamamoto could win like this. He looked at Dino and Nike, who both still had serious expressions.

"See, it's amazing!"

"I hope so," Dino responded, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Squalo looks happy."

Indeed, he did, Nike thought as she looked at the screen as well, slowly getting overrun by annoyance. The idea of Squalo winning tasted bad.

The bad feeling she shared with Dino for a while only got worse when Squalo told Yamamoto that he had just used his last chance to hurt him.

"Last chance?" Basil repeated in confusion, the bad feeling also overcoming him. However, Yamamoto didn't seem to lose his good mood, which was admirable, considering the threat coming from Varia's swordsman. He even told him that it wasn't all Shigure Souen had to offer.

Reborn agreed. "That's right. Shigure Souen has four defensive forms and four offensive forms. So eight different forms for all kinds of situations exist."

And then – finally – Yamamoto attacked for the first time. He charged forward, and as he stood close before Squalo, they noticed that he had switched his sword into his other hand, confusing Squalo for a moment. He swung his sword at him and landed a direct hit, seemingly slashing Squalo across the stomach. The swordsman flew backwards.

That was the 5th offensive form: ' Samidare, Early Summer Rain'," Reborn told them. Tsuna's eyes were wide with amazement as he said: "That's awesome, Yamamoto!"

"N-Not bad…" Even Gokudera had to admit, even if he looked fairly annoyed doing so.

But something was wrong. Nike's eyes narrowed. Dino seemed tense as well. Both glanced at each other at the same time, realizing that they felt the same way. There was no blood, no single evidence that Squalo was hurt at all. He even stood again, grinning wider as he did before.

Dino voiced out Nike's exact thought. "Squalo is unhurt."

"Why!? It definitely hit!" Tsuna said confused, but Nike shook her head, crossed her arms and said calmly:

"No, it never hit. He moved his body back as Yamamoto swung his sword."

"Exactly. He didn't get knocked back, he leapt back," Dino agreed, even if he, for the first time, didn't want to agree with her.

"I can only assume he saw the attack coming," Reborn said, his voice still calm, while sitting on Dino's shoulder.

Basil seemed to be confused as well. "But as far as I can tell, there was nothing unusual about Yamamoto-dono's movements!"

"No, there was," Nike simply said, her arms still crossed as her eyes did not leave the screen, her calm, yet serious expression not changing.

The moments she has said it, Squalo already affirmed her thoughts, as he pointed his sword at Yamamoto and asked shouting why he had used the back of his sword to attack.

"He used the back side?" Tsuna asked.

"That's right," Reborn confirmed. "Right before the last attack, he spun his sword around and used the edgeless side against Squalo."

Then Yamamoto's voice could be heard from the loudspeakers, answering Squalo: "That's because I'm fighting to beat you, _not_ to take your life."

Squalo's expression changed, wherever it was hard to tell if he was simply enraged or if he was angry, but still enjoying their fight. "Are you insulting me!?" he shouted, the loudspeakers even starting to make weird noises, almost not being able to catch the volume of his voice. He charged forward to attack Yamamoto, but he reacted. Again, he tried to use a wall of water to defend himself, but Squalo starting grinning again, and to the surprise of the watchers, used the same technique as Yamamoto did. The water clashed, taking the vision of both fighters.

"Both have their field of vision blocked!" Dino said, worried that Yamamoto was about to be hit by Squalo.

"The one who finds the other first, strikes," Nike's face darkened a little, her fingernail digging in her palms. "This looks bad."

And then she heard it before her eyes were able to capture it. The sound if it seemed familiar. The sound of skin cut open and blood scattering, blood drops hitting the water surface. As the water gave free the vision again, it was clear. Blood dropped from Yamamoto's left shoulder. He had been hit, his knees losing the strength to support his weight because of the pain.

Squalo's grin widened in a sardonic way, telling the injured boy that he could see through all of his attacks, since he had once crushed the Shigure Souen style already.

He told Yamamoto how he had heard of the Shigure Souen style, known as flawless style, passed down quietly each generation, after defeating the Sword Emperor Tyr. He had come across the master and his three students, who also used the exact same techniques Yamamoto now used, and took then as well.

And Reborn only could confirm it; Squalo's moves were more than just reflexes, which also made it clear to the others; Yamamoto's chance of winning had lowered to almost impossible. His attacks would not work.

However, Yamamoto wasn't someone to give up like that. He stood up again, pressing the palm of his hand against his bleeding shoulder. He still believed in his Shigure Souen style.

And so, Squalo attacked again. When their swords clashed, Yamamoto suddenly stopped moving, his arm where he held his sword seeming as if it was numb. Squalo used his chance and slashed him across his cheek, sending the boy flying, but stood up again right after, Nike only briefly noticing him hitting his own, numb arm. His friends started worrying; he acted weird. The news that Squalo had used one of his special techniques didn't help. 'Attacco di Squalo, Attack of the Shark'; a shockwave which turned a powerful blow into an oscillating wave that stunned his opponent's muscles.

He still wanted to use his Shigure Souen. And Squalo just confirmed his resolution unknowingly as he told him how he had killed the successor, killing him after he had unleashed his eights form: 'Akisame, Autumn Rain'.

After Squalo had said that, Yamamoto seemed to think about something for a moment. Squalo meanwhile shouted at the camera that was transferring their fight to the screen outside: "Brats! Just sit and watch the sword-brat's ugly end!"

Nike didn't feel like exploding, but rather like imploding, sporting a dark aura and death glare. "This bastard's blabbering makes me sick."

Suddenly, she felt Dino's hand softly grabbing her wrist, unnoticed from anybody else, and his eyes yet not leaving the screen. He knew she was angry, and somehow even worried, and his gesture felt like he was trying to tell her 'it's okay'. As she looked up at him, her expression and concerns about the fight fell away from her a little. When she ripped her glance away from him, his soothing hand did still not move from its place and she grabbed two of his fingers with her own in return, the small touch making her wish she could hug him. Her actions surprised him, refusing to move his hand away from her, hoping she wouldn't either.

Meanwhile Yamamoto seemed to have gained confidence once again, his light grin appearing on his face again, even if he still had some trouble standing, blood soaking his clothes. He still believed in his style and charged forward one more time. Squalo thought he would attack with the eighth form of Shigure Souen that he knew, but Yamamoto surprised him.

And this time, he hit Squalo, striking his stomach. He spat blood. "You! Did you use another style than Shigure Souen!?" he shouted enraged, not believing that Yamamoto had managed to hit him.

Yamamoto grinned in return and answered that it was the eights form of Shigure Souen, 'Shinotsuku Ame, Pelting Rain', created by his father.

That left everyone a little clueless, only Reborn realized what they were talking about and explained: "It's likely that Yamamoto's father and the successor that Squalo defeated learned the first seven forms from their master, then each created their own eighth form afterwards."

"That means the successors of the Shigure Souen carry the forms handed down by their former predecessors, then they create a new form that they pass down to their apprentices?" Nike asked, beginning to catch on.

"That's right."

Nike thought about it for a second. "But that it still hasn't died out yet… I mean it sounds like the changes doesn't only consist of progressing, but also regressing."

Reborn nodded. "To become the strongest, you become the target of those who are strong. Shigure Souen is a still that, when a successor with the requisite talent cannot be found, it's fated to disappear from this world."

Nike watched the screen again and a few seconds passed. "But he used the back of his sword again. If he continues like this, he'll use no matter what."

And Squalo felt mocked that he used the back of his sword, then asked irritated if Yamamoto had other forms of Shigure Souen that he hadn't seen.

Yamamoto laughed at that, then told him relaxed as always that the first seven forms were the same he knew.

Dino gaped at him in shock. "Idiot, you're too honest!"

Nike facepalmed, not believing what Yamamoto did. "He gave himself away like that…."

But then Yamamoto surprised all. He raised his sword that had turned into a wooden one again. He was about to release the ninth form.

The others were surprised.

"That Yamamoto. Intends to unleash a new form of his own," Reborn said calmly.

"I see. A style that transcends style… provides this succeeds. If he can pull it off, Shigure Souen would indeed be invincible," Dino said, though still asking himself if Yamamoto were able to do it.

But then he did it; he transformed his Shigure Kintoki back into the katana form and created a wave of water. The ninth form: Utsushi Ame, Duplicate Rain. But Squalo wasn't one to give up. He charged at Yamamoto, but he avoided him and appeared behind him. However, Squalo noticed him and surprised the other now as well. His sword turned directions. It was actually an artificial arm with an attached blade. And it pierced Yamamoto's chest. At least it seemed so at first, before they saw how the young boy turned into water. It had been a reflection in the water all along.

Then the real Yamamoto appeared in front of Squalo… and with the back of his sword, he landed a hit on Squalo's head.

And with this, it was Yamamoto's win.

He picked up Squalo's Half Vongola Ring and merged it with his, getting the whole Rain Ring.

He grinned into the camera, holding up the ring. "I won!"

"He really pulled it off…" Dino still couldn't believe it, but his body loosened up again, his shoulders relaxing, though Nike could tell he was somewhat concerned about Squalo.

She sighed. He was just too nice. Then something else flashed through her mind and she noticed that she still held onto him. He seemed to realize it within the same second. A very faint blush appeared on his cheeks accompanied by a sheepish smile. Nike was about to turn beat red, but something was fighting against it like a wall around her heart that refused to let the blood rush to her face. Then she let go of him, also fighting the urge to hug him again.

His disappointment was clearly visible, making Nike fee like she was stabbed. She tried to change the subject.

"What will happen with that stupid shark now?"

Her question, seemed to be answered when Varia discussed who of them would kill Squalo. However, one of the Cervello intervened.

"It's dangerous to enter the battlefield now. Now that the designated water depth has been reached, a ferocious sea beast has been released."

_"Sea beast….?"_ Nike though with a raised brow. Then she saw a huge shark appearing on the screen. "...Oh..."

"Hold on! What'll happen to Squalo!?" Yamamoto asked, his voice appearing from the loudspeakers.

"As the one who was defeated, Squalo's survival is no longer our responsibility," the Cervello answered, her voice not giving off any emotion.

Hearing that answer, Yamamoto grabbed Squalo and threw his arm around his shoulder, intending to help him.

"What's that idiot doing!?" Gokudera shouted.

"In his condition, he couldn't possible carry Squalo…" Basil said, concerned about Yamamoto's safety.

Nike's eyelid started to twitch in disbelief "What the hell is he doing!? Saving that shark…." Saving an enemy? For the people she grew up with impossible.

But the situation got worse when the shark smelled the blood that stuck to both fighters and came closer. Then it seemed like Squalo was awake, and within the next moment, kicked Yamamoto away, also away from the shark. When the boy realized what happened the shark jumped out of the water, towards Squalo and took him the swordsman with him as he disappeared into the water again; only leaving a pool of blood floating in the water…

Tsuna and his friends were left in shock, while Yamamoto was announced to be the winner.

"But this kind of ending…" Tsuna's face seemed pained. It was clear none of them had to experience something like this before.

_"They're still only in middle school. What a cruel battle,"_ Dino thought, looking at Tsuna. Nike looked at Dino, perfectly knowing what he was thinking judging his expression. Then she looked at Tsuna, Gokudera and Ryohei, eyeing their still shocked faces. It made her wonder when it was the last time that she was last faced seeing blood. A light look of bitterness crawled over her face, which disappeared when she noticed that Dino elbowed her lightly, only to get her attention.

"You ok?" he asked.

She mentally slapped herself to get back on track, then put her hands in her pockets. "Yeah. It's not like this is the worst thing I've ever seen. There were things far~ worse." Then she gave him a side-glance. "And you stop thinking about it. These brats will have to fight to survive. Besides," she sported a small, gleeful and somewhat sinister grin that would have made a kid cry. "… I take this here with irony. A 'Squalo got eaten by a Squalo'. That's funny."

Dino just stared at her unbelievingly, even if he knew she wasn't serious. At least not entirely. When the snicker that was as scary as her grin before escaped her stopped, she looked at the screen again, her serious face appearing again. "But it's a shame. I'd have liked to kick that shark's ass myself."

He nodded slowly. "Why did I know you would say that?"

* * *

><p>If I have to write 'Shigure Souen' just one more time then…. BAH… Anyway…<p>

"Squalo got eaten by a Squalo"…. I hope Squalo forgives me for the pun… probably not.. gotta hide… (Squalo is shark in Italian, if I remember correctly. Please go ahead and correct me if I'm wrong :) ) So, next time we got the first part of the "Haneuma to Same" drama cd and eh yeah more stuff^^ (If this continues I'll have to write a list about all the drama CDs I splitted up lol)

Thanks for all the reviews and stuff again guys! :D See ya! :D


	18. Bucking Horse and Shark

Alright guys, the first part consists of the first half of the Drama CD 'Haneuma to Same' (Bucking Horse and Shark). (The other half is found in Chapter 8) Anyway, this part is a short insight in Dino's past :D Man I swear this is the last drama CD I touched xD So anyway, hope you guys enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Don't own KHR just my OCs…

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Before Light 18<strong>

~Bucking Horse and Shark~

"I refuse this." Nike still grumbled to herself, sitting on a chair next to Dino. Now she pointed at the source of her annoyance, hidden by a blanket, an oxygen apparatus, and was connected to other hospital equipment. "Why did you help him?" Nike asked Dino, pointing at Squalo. He smiled wryly and raised an eyebrow. She just grumbled another time and leaned back in her chair, then began rocking it back and forward impatiently. She already knew the answer even if he didn't say anything. First, Dino was just too nice to not help someone that needed help. And secondly, there was this big mystery surrounding Squalo and the 9th, and Dino was sure Squalo knew something.

Indeed. Squalo had been saved. Dino had snuck some of his subordinates into the Rain Battlefield to save Yamamoto after he had lost, but it turned out he wasn't the one that required his help. And so, Squalo was rescued. Of course, he was severely injured, his whole body and even his face being in bandages, but he was still alive. And _how_ quiet he was for once, all unconscious and stuff.

Suddenly, Squalo moved slightly, making weird noises.

***"You're awake, Squalo?" Dino asked.

Squalo opened his eyes, the light of the hospital blending him. "Bucking Horse?"

"I thought Yamamoto would need help after fighting you, so I planned on rescuing him, but that things turned out like this…"

"Why did you save me?" Squalo did seem a little irritated, he was just too weak to show it.

Dino let out a short laugh. "Heh. If you'd have died, we'd be in trouble."

"You're too soft. Just like you always were," Squalo answered.

"That may be so," Dino chuckled. "But Tsuna would have done the same thing. He wouldn't abandon even his enemy."

There was a short silence, Nike almost being in awe that Dino was able to have a normal conversation with Squalo. Of course, he was injured, but still…

Then Dino started again. "I think Tsuna is fit to become the 10th Vongola boss, but why are you following Xanxus? All you ever did was improving your sword skills. So why did you decide to follow him?"

But Squalo just turned his head away, refusing to talk any more. Another thing that hit Nike like a brick thrown by Rika. He refused to talk.

Dino sighed. "Can't be helped. No use making an injured person talk against his will." Then he smiled a little. "Hey, would you like to talk about the past? How long has it been since we talked like this?"

Nike glanced at him in light confusion. He noticed it and said: "You know we went to the same school?"

"I heard about it," Nike said briefly. Of course Rika had given her some information about Dino before she met him.

He laughed lightly, obviously amused when he thought back. "Well, maybe even when Squalo and I were student we didn't talk much. He was scary back then…."

**…** A few years earlier**…**

It was a sunny day. Perfect to skip lessons. The school bang rang, telling the students that the school was over. Dino yawned.

"Is it time already? I ended up skipping classes today as well. Well, it doesn't really matter. I didn't want to come to this school related to the mafia, anyway. I wonder if dad will be mad." The teenager thought about his father's reaction for a while, but then shook his head. "No, I told him I wouldn't come home if it stays like this."

Suddenly the bushes behind the wall he leaned against rustled and a person jumped over it. He had short, white hair. "Whoa!" Dino jumped up to his feet, almost stumbling over a little stone that lay on the ground.

"You don't like people?" the boy asked. Dino looked at him for a whole before realizing who he was.

"Oh! Squalo!"

Now Squalo recognized Dino as well. "You are… the Cavallone!"

"W-Why from above…!?" Dino stuttered. "You climbed over the wall? You will get into trouble if you're found out…!" Dino was speaking so fast that he almost started stuttering again.

Then something else caught his eye. Blood. A whole lot of blood. "Squalo! You're injured!" He stepped forward to take a look. Of course he would be worried if someone was bleeding in front of him.

"What are you doing!?" Squalo shouted at him.

"If we don't hurry and take care of the wound…!" More blood dropped out of his slashed arm. "So much blood.!" He panicked a little.

"Leave me alone! Don't touch my wound!" Squalo barked.

"But…" Dino wanted to protest but then remembered that he was actually quite scared of Squalo.  
>"Also, don't tell anyone about this. If you say something unnecessary, I'll cut you into fish food," Squalo threatened him with a glare.<p>

Dino swallowed. "Ah.. I.. I got it. I'll be quiet." Then he started eyeing the scary swordsman and started to think. _"He is carrying a sword, right? Is the rumour true? That he fought against different sword users and lost hi__s own arm… Did he fight someone today as well and got that wound?" _

"What the hell are you looking at!?" Squalo asked irritated.

Dino realized what he did and flinched. "Ah, nothing."

Squalo scoffed. "And you are missing school. What happened to studying, _young master_?"

"Eh.. well …"

"I get it. Your classmates were bullying you, so you ran away and hid yourself."

Dino tried to deny it. "That's not it!"

"Sees like the rumour is true that the heir of the Cavallone can't even use a sword and is a coward. How sad. With someone like you, the Cavallone won't survive," Squalo continued mocking him.

Dino gathered up his courage and raised his voice. "I won't become part of the mafia!"

Squalo furrowed his brows. "Haaah? What are you saying? You have the right to choose!?"

"Even if I can't, I won't become one of them! I hate the mafia!" Dino shouted. "I know my father is wealthy. And I love everyone in the family. I think they are important. But I hate violence, I don't want to see blood and I hate pain, too. I want to lead a peaceful life…" Dino said, fumbling with his fingers nervously.

"VOOOOOOOI!" Squalo's loud voice shocked Dino and he stood there like he was frozen. "What are you saying!? Peaceful life? That's just a dream. Do you really think that would ever be real!?"

"Dream?" Dino stammered.

"Humans have their fates decided the moment they are born! You are born as the heir of a mafia. You just try to run away from it, "Squalo spat harshly.

"No! That's wrong! I-" Dino tried to search for excuses.

"You are just spoiled. The ones that run away from their fate don't know what else to do. I'll cut my own fate with my sword. I'll become the strongest!"

"Squalo, those using power to have power will be defeated by power as well. Like this, you might even die!" Dino told him, his voice holding a little concern.

Squalo felt mocked. "Lose? Me!? Impossible."

"Squalo!"

"Shut up!" Squalo hissed and swung his sword at him. Dino stumbled backwards and fell down. "If you say one more thing, I'll slice you! And now, move!" Then Squalo walked past Dino.

But Dino still wouldn't give up, even if he was scared of him. "Squalo! Attend to your wound! It will worsen if you won't!"

Squalo looked over his shoulder with a little irritation and clicked his tongue. "You… Worrying about a person that wanted to cut you. You're too soft."

Then he left.

**…**

"A few years after that, I heard that the Vongola HQ was under attack. I didn't expect that that Squalo had something to do with it." Dino sighed, done telling his story and looked at Nike with a small smile. He chuckled as he saw her calm, but attentive expression, listening to every word he said. What he didn't know that hearing stories about Dino's past excited her a little, feeling like she got to know him better, but at the same time it made her uneasy. The more she knew about him, the more she felt her head and her heart fighting against each other. Deciding what she would do after the Ring Battle was over became harder, almost impossible. But at the same time, her guilt grew along her feelings.

Then suddenly, Squalo moved again and began talking. "I told you. To worry about a guy that wanted to cut you… you're a foolish and way too soft person."

Dino smiled. "It can't be helped. That's who I am."

Squalo scoffed, even if his voice became quieter. "That's why you are so weak." Then he fell asleep.***

Nike slid down her chair a little, hanging there rather lazily. "He's already asleep. How useless."

Dino chuckled. "It's a miracle that he's still alive with these wounds. Heh, it's alright for now, but he'll have to talk about the things he know later. He shouldn't waste his life."

Nike sighed, making way for her distress. "He's right. You're too soft. And it hurts to admit that I agree with this idiot."

He laughed and grinned widely at her. "Is that so? Well, I'm sorry to trouble you."

Nike shook her head slowly. "No… it's okay. Don't change the way you are."

**…**

Today was already the Cloud Battle. Now Dino, Nike and Romario discussed what to do, looking at Squalo's condition, who was, by the way, still unconscious since the day before.

"So, how is he, Romario?" Dino asked, leaning back in his chair.

"There's no change… But, boss, in any case, this is all we can do…"

"I know! Just do something about it by the end of today… No, by noon." It had been a while that Nike heard Dino with such an impatient voice.

When she noticed that someone stood in front of the door, Dino was already flipping his head around, asking almost a little harshly: "Who is it!?"

Nike elbowed him. "Calm down. It's just-" Before she could finish her sentence, Tsuna stuck his head into the room. "It's me, Sawada."

Dino sighed and relaxed a little, standing up from his chair. Nike, knowing that Dino probably didn't want Tsuna to see Squalo yet, walked outside , Tsuna going back automatically, Dino followed and closed the door behind him, grinning almost stupidly at his self-proclaimed younger brother.

"It's you! You're up early!"

Nike rolled her tired looking eyes. "Oh, really…"

"Ehh… Good morning!" Tsuna then said after a confused glance at Nike. "Well, I couldn't sleep so… eh…"

Dino's grin changed to a knowing one. "You want to find out from me how Kyoya is doing, right?"

Tsuna was busted, his face showing it clearly. Dino laughed shortly. "I'll make you some tee."

"Er… you look busy…" Tsuna didn't want to bother him.

"I still have time for my little brother."

"Geez, he just came because he's worried that if Kyo loses, it'll be over for them," Nike told Dino with a sigh, the three of them walking down the hospital's corridor.

"True," he admitted amusedly, then opened the door next to him after turning to Tsuna again. "As for these guys, they're either worried too, or just bored."

"Or just having fun to wake us up early in the morning…" Nike huffed annoyed. When Dino had opened the door, Tsuna immediately noticed Gokudera, Yamamoto and Ryohei sleeping inside.

"They dropped by to ask about Kyoya as well, "Dino explained.

Tsuna gasped. "Wha-! They're all here!"

"They all came with the excuse to have their injuries checked," Dino explained. "Now they're relieved and have fallen asleep."

"So that means..!?"

A crooked smile appeared on Dino's face, showing his absolute confidence. "Kyoya is a perfect finish. As his home tutor, I'm saying this without any favouritism; that boy is really strong."

"I'm glad…" Tsuna sighed out of relieve and began yawning, beginning to feels sleepy now, too.

"You have training!" Suddenly, a voice startled Tsuna and Dino. Nike turned around to face the window, only to see Reborn… wearing a ninja costume.

_"Damn, he gave me a fright. Can't kick this habit from my student days…"_ Dino though, still a little startled. Nike meanwhile just stared blankly at reborn. _"He's still wearing thos__e costumes… What a weird hobby."_

**…**

Nike looked at the clock ticking in the corner of the room. It was time for the Cloud Battle.

"The preparations are ready," Romario told his boss.

"In that case, we'll proceed," Dino answered briefly.

"…Boss. It's almost time for the battle, isn't it?" Romario asked. "No matter how much stronger Kyoya has gotten, his opponent is the aide of the Varia boss. Are you sure you don't wanna watch?"  
>Dino was silent for a moment, his face serious and in thought. "You know something, Romario? Where Gola Mosca is concerned… that Gola Mosca is apparently… not even worth his time."<p>

"Probably true…" Nike mumbled to herself, standing a little away from them, leaning against a wall. She herself somehow had a bad feeling about Gola Mosca. That name alone, that she knew, should ring a bell, but somehow didn't.

Instead, something else rang; or at least vibrated in the inside pocket of her jacket. Her muscles tensed in shock. No matter why, that could only mean bad news. She opened the pocket and picked out something that looking like a little metallic button. She pushed it inside her ear and drove her finger over it, a sensor activating it.

"Lieutenant Nike."

"Yoho~ 'Sup, Nike, how's it going?" the voice coming out of the device made Nike's face fall with a mixture of annoyance and disgust. "Rika."  
>"What's up with that voice!? You don't hear from me in months, and you don't even say hello!?" Rika shouted at the other end in completely faked dismay.<p>

"You were the one that called, old hag," Nike said annoyed.

"YOU MIDGET!"

Nike ear canal started throbbing. She flexed her fingers irritated, cracking her knuckles, trying to maintain a low voice that was boiling with irritation now. How long had it been to hear Rika insulting her with that certain word?

"Just what the hell do you want? I'm busy." The cuss words she had for Rika that moment better stayed unspoken. For now.

"Busy? _Busy!?_You tell that to your lord and master!?" Rika hissed.

Nike scoffed sarcastically. "Yeah, sure. If that's how you wanna call it." Now she heard how her tutor lit a cigarette, almost able to _hear_ Rika glare at her.

"Well, I have information about the 9th, but if you don't want them…"

Nike's eyes widened for a second. "What?"

"I'm at Vongola HQ right now. And man…" Nike heard Rika kick something aside that sounded like a dead, bloody body; a bone cracking,"It's a mess here. CEDEF and the 9th men started shooting at each other. And here I had no popcorn…" Rika sighed disappointed.

Nike just facepalmed. "Could you just get to the point?"

"Well, about your Gola Mosca friend…"

"You know about that?"

"Of course, stupid!" Rika yelled. "And you learned about those things, too. They are machines that use the life energy of flames as source of power. And you know who's missing here at HQ? That's right, the 9th."

Nike felt like being hit by her own stocked information. "You don't mean…!"  
>"Yep, that's what I mean. Ain't I awesome for figuring it out? And so totally nice for telling you?" There was something ironic in Rika's voice.<p>

"Shut up, I gotta go!" Nike hurriedly said, her finger going up to the device in her ear that Genesis invented for contact.

"Oh, and one more thing," Rika somehow said in a quiet voice. That was never a good sign. "I'm coming to meet you in Italy." Nike's muscles tensed once more, before Rika ended the call with words that made Nike want to punch someone: "Make a decision until then."

Nike pulled the device out of her ear and threw it against a wall. Damn that old hag!" she hissed under her breath, clenched her hands into fists and turned on her heels. SH had something else to do now.

"Dino!" she called out to him, hurrying over to him. He jerked his head around and had a worried, but serious expression as he put his cell phone away from his ear.

"We have trouble!" Nike said, realizing that he already knew. _"CEDEF must have contacted him,"_ she thought.

He nodded. "I know. We have to hurry. We must stop the Cloud Battle."

* * *

><p>*phew* well, hope you liked it. Btw, the Hospital scene with Squalo plays at the same time as the Mist Battle.*hides from all Mukuro fans* Oh and while I'm at that *hides from Hibari fans* You may remember Tsuna asking Reborn where Dino was; getting the answer he was visiting an old friend if I remember correctly.<p>

So anyway, now I'll have to see if there will be two chapters or just one before the Varia arc ends. Either one awfully long one, or two shorter ones. I'll probably go with two shorter ones.

Thanks again for your reviews, alerts etc.! *hugs you* See ya next time-desu!


End file.
